Director of Parent Relations and Events Monica Sanchez
Development Assistant terri Agress
Prospect Researcher Marilyn Klenk
Bo ARD of tR u S t EES 2014-2015
Chairman Michael Baiamonte
Vice-Chair Bronwen Rutter
Secretary Ricardo Albarran
Treasurer Charles Klenk
Donna Abood
(Executive Committee) Susan Benenati (Bishop’s Designate) Rev. frank J. Corbishley
Rt. Rev. Leo frade
John D. fumagalli
Lynne Keller tina Lane
Hugo Mantilla
Camilo Montana
tina Portuondo
(Executive Committee) Rev. Jennie Lou Reid
Alejandro Rodriguez
isabel Rodriguez
Bishop Calvin Schofield
Beth Serrate
Riva Steinman (Trustee Emeritus) William Morrison
Andrew Bennett ‘95
Lorna Castellanos
Monica Cervera-Sijan ‘96
Lynley (Walker) Ciorobea ‘96
Evans (Dunwody) Crews ‘91
Daniel Diaz Leyva ‘98
Adrian foley ‘02
Hadley (nichols) foreman ‘93
Dr. Efrain Garcia
nicole Gaytan
Brian Gershen ‘98
tiffany Glick ‘04
Corey (Krissel) Gonzalez ‘95
Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda ‘98
Mason Harris ‘89
Brittney (fyffe) Hernandez ‘06
Ryan Jurney ‘04
tanya Manfrediz ‘00
Brittney (Hoffman) McCabe ‘99
Sarah (fernandez) Mendoza ‘95
Ariel Moger ‘08
Jan Morrison
Laurence Moser ‘80
Christopher narchet ‘07
Anne Beaumont (nichols) neithardt ‘95
Connie nickel
Amanda omachonu ‘06
Dan Pimentel ‘03
Leanne Romanchuk
Margaret Rosas-Guyon ‘93
Amber (Goethel) Seidlin ‘96
Beth (Brockway) Serrate ‘85
Lee Sterling ‘81
Zachary Sulkes
Dax tejera ‘03
Amanda (Chrycy) Thompson ‘96
Holly (Lee) Zawyer ‘97
nathan Zeder ‘98
Palmer trinity School is committed to the moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical and creative growth of all members of our school community. our dedication to excellence and respect for diversity inspire students to seek enlightenment and lead lives of honor, integrity, and social responsibility.
The Aerie is published twice a year by Palmer Trinity School for alumni, parents, grandparents, students and friends. The E-newsletter informs the community of campus events and student and faculty accomplishments. Send story ideas or comments to scalleja@palmertrinity.org or Webmaster Mike Pena at mpena@palmertrinity.org.
Palmer Trinity School offers a fullservice website – www.palmertrinity.org – where you can look up friends in a searchable directory, find out about the latest news and events, and connect with our Alumni office. We also post back issues of our PTS e-newsletter and Aerie magazines online.
For details on Alumni benefits and services, please contact our Director of Alumni Relations, Lauren Dowlen at ldowlen@palmertrinity.org or (305) 969-4282. The Aerie welcomes submissions and suggestions for magazine departments. If you have an idea for a feature story, please contact our Aerie Editor at scalleja@palmertrinity.org.
Special thanks to RMC (www.rmcollaborative.com), a strategic design and brand innovation company, who continues to take the image of Palmer Trinity School to the next level.
Finally, we would like to thank Original Impressions, especially our Account Representative Lori Casner, for their continued dedication to Palmer Trinity School.
A S A ny PARE nt
K no WS
, not H in G MARKS t HE
PASSAGE of ti ME quit E L i KE A n EW
SCH oo L y EAR – A S i G n t HAt ou R CH i LD
i S , y E t AGA in, A not HER y EAR o LDER . (I like to joke sometimes that my son, Carlos, keeps getting older; while I, miraculously, always stay the same age.) When I began my time here at Palmer Trinity School, he wasn’t even three. Now, he has begun his own journey as he has joined our sixth grade class this fall. When did all of this happen?
The other thing every parent knows is that our child’s new beginning is also a new beginning for ourselves. Inadvertently, children teach us how to parent, as we teach them to grow and mature and become social beings. Their first life experiences are often our first time parenting through that experience; and through each of these, we gain new perspective.
Suffice it to say, when you work at a school as connected to spiritual and moral growth as Palmer Trinity is, every editorial can be about “new beginnings.” The community here seeks out new beginnings, while simultaneously assessing how these beginnings will mesh with older traditions. The new beginnings at our school are currently so plentiful that we decided to make it the theme of this edition of the Aerie
This issue marks a new beginning for Patrick Roberts, our new Head of School. His appointment symbolizes the fruitful end of an extensive ten-month national search.
His move to Florida from Battle Ground Academy in Tennessee – with his wife, Laura, and their four children – has been met with enthusiasm and gratification across the entire PTS campus. Welcome, Patrick Roberts!
Also, embarking on a new beginning at Palmer Trinity School is Manjula Salomon. Dr. Salomon brings with her 38 years of extensive experience in international education. She most recently held the position of Assistant Head of School, Director of Global Initiatives since 2008 at The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. Dr. Salomon will evaluate Palmer Trinity’s global education programs to ensure compliance with Global Education Benchmark Group’s (GEBG) Global Education Standards, a set of
nationwide guidelines intended as a tool for program design and the development of riskmanagement policies.
Sharing a new beginning with Dr. Salomon is the Reverend Dr. Mary Ellen Cassini, who is commencing her vocational ministry here at Palmer Trinity on page 16. Rev. Cassini offers a welcoming and confidential space for all PTS students. As she says so beautifully, “Meeting new people, and beginning to realize the rich texture of various individuals that we meet on our travels, provides each of us with a more expansive and vivid sense of creation.”
These faculty members, as well as three newly appointed members of our Board of Trustees, are just a few of the outstanding individuals that we are so fortunate to welcome to our Palmer Trinity School family. It is a credit to our current and former educators and staff that Palmer Trinity School is considered such a valued place to learn and work. You can read more about all of our new faculty and staff this year on page 10.
I hope that their new beginnings, and the new beginnings of all of our students and returning faculty and staff, are happy ones. In the words of T.S. Eliot:
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language; And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end, is to make a beginning.”
Today marks Palmer Trinity School’s new beginning – and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Enjoy this issue,
Suzanne Gottlieb Calleja Director of Strategic Communications and Community Relations
Get the Aerie on your tablet or smart phone!
The Aerie is available on the iPad, Kindle Fire, NOOK tablet, Android devices and iPhone, as well as the UberFlip app. To read the Aerie tablet edition, go to www.palmertrinity.org/aerie-archive.
Right Reverend Calvin O. Schofield and Head of School Patrick Roberts at the
Photo by Dani de Sola ‘18
SS o F 2014: Photos {PG. 28}
Falcon aTH le TI c S {PG. 6}
VISI onaer I e: Alejandro Rodriguez {PG. 32}
PaTr I ck rober TS In STallaTI on {PG. 40}
New Begi NN i Ngs...
A PER f EC t Ly
APPRoPR i At E tit LE
foR t H i S fi RS t i SS u E of Aerie foR t HE 20142015 SCHooL y EAR .
As the inception of any school year signals a time fresh with hope, a sense of excitement, and a “clean slate,” this year is one in which we have much to celebrate, and much to do.
For the Roberts family, for our beloved School, and for each of us, this truly is a “New Beginning.” Having arrived in late June, it has been quite a journey for the Roberts Family. This chapter of our new life is one we are most grateful for, and we are incredibly eager to begin the investment necessary to integrate fully into both the Palmer Trinity School community and in our Palmetto Bay home. Our sons Cook, Hagan, and John Patrick are all now in their school routine, while our two year old Katherine Anne enjoys a bit of “alone time” with mom each day. Since my appointment last October, the kindness, generosity of spirit, and dedicated effort to help us in this transition has been overwhelming, and we feel most blessed. We continue to count peacocks each day, marvel at the beautiful early evening sky that descends just before dusk, and look forward to any opportunity in which our children can cross paths with the “big kids.” In only a few short few weeks, the class of 2015 has made a tremendous impact in our children’s lives, inviting them to attend our Opening Chapel, asking them for help in painting their Senior parking spaces, and simply taking the time to chat, play and even take them for regular visits to the Coral Lab here on our beautiful campus. In short, our days are filled with joy and the eager anticipation that being new so often brings.
For our School, this is also an incredibly exciting time. As I announced on Opening Day, Palmer Trinity began this school year with record enrollment — a total of 714 students, including 189 new Falcons. We are also proud of our new 20 faculty and staff members, including newly appointed Associate Head of School/Director of Real Estate, Mr. Paul Zamek, and our first ever Global Resident Scholar, Dr. Manjula Salomon. Without listing each new member and his or her accomplishments, please know that we have only enhanced our overall School Profile, continuing to recruit and retain the very best Faculty and Staff, who are committed to serving these 714 students with dedication, passion and a true level of excellence.
September 22, we can now initiate the first phase in the process of fully developing our spectacular 55-acre campus. Both our Chairman Michael Baiamonte and our Director of Strategic Communications and Community Relations, Suzanne Gottlieb Calleja, and Jose Chao, our CFO, have worked incredibly hard to lead us through this process, and we are eager to begin the good work ahead, and put the past behind us.
On the academic front, this month, we are hosting an FCIS team for our 5-year accreditation visit. Adrianna Truby, our newly appointed Academic Dean, has led us masterfully in this process, and we anticipate a favorable review. During the course of this year, we will also focus on revising our Faculty Evaluation Plan, review our Daily Schedule, increase our overall Professional Development efforts, and, in short, focus on making the daily program and experience for our students the very best it can be.
Under the leadership of our new Chaplain, the Reverend Dr. Mary Ellen Cassini, we have also introduced a new Chapel service, and continue to develop our overall Episcopal identity. Offering Eucharist four times this year, and instilling the daily message of love, respect for others and compassion, I am most proud of the tone that we are setting for our students, families and greater community members.
Finally, we are only a few short months away from beginning the implementation phase of Strategic Plan 2020. Begun this past spring, we are working to address the greater needs of our School, clearly defining our Mission, establishing our Identity, and determining the best course of action to achieve our overall Goal of serving these students at the highest level of excellence. A number of you have been involved in these discussions and in our session together in April, and I look forward to taking these next steps with you.
Thank you in advance for your support as we embark upon these “New Beginnings.” As Oliver Wendell Holmes so eloquently stated: “I find that the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.”
I could not agree more. We have great opportunities before us, and I look forward to our journey together.
In only a few short months, we have made great strides in the political arena, receiving unanimous support for our Master Site Plan in the development of a new campus. It also gives me great joy to share that after an 11-year effort, and our final Hearing on
Patrick H.F. Roberts Head of School
A Fresh Start For Falcon Athletics
Written by P RES ton Mi CHELS on, ‘13
W ITH A NEW F ITNESS C ENTER , studio, and upgrades to the PTS Gym, Falcons have a lot to look forward to in their workouts this year. Athletic Director Ernest Robertson, Jr. says that the Falcon Fitness Center will help our athletes be “bigger, faster, and stronger.” Moving from the west side of the gymnasium to the maintenance building, its geographic advantage will allow students to shuttle between working out and going to practice.
To assist the student-athletes, the School will employ part-time Fitness Directors — people who have studied sports science and understand it. “So now a coach can tell the Fitness Director
that I need these athletes leaner and faster; I need these athletes bigger and stronger,” Robertson said. The Fitness Directors will work with inseason athletes twice a week and out-of-season athletes three times a week. And they will be able to use state-of-the-art equipment — which is the result of a charitable donation by the Montaña family. There are free weights, universal equipment, and cardiovascular equipment. It is a major improvement in the workout facility for student-athletes. The squarefootage has more than doubled from what it was in the gymnasium. There will be three television monitors in the Center, as well as surround sound for music. “We’re going
to put devotional phrases and quotes up in the rafters,” Robertson said. “We also plan to put up photos of athletes to inspire our students to work hard. It’s about making our athletes feel better about themselves.”
An important message that Mr. Robertson emphasized is that workout time will not take away from practice time. According to their coach’s instructions, athletes will be able to warm up with the fitness instructor and go to practice, or practice with their team and then cool down with the instructor.
“The Center is going to help tremendously,” said Rudy Fernandez, Head Coach of the Varsity Football squad. “We’re working out twice a week before school, arriving at 6:30 a.m. and eating breakfast after as a team.”
Lynne Keller, a parent, Trustee, and Chair of the Building and Grounds Committee, believes that the new Fitness Center will be much more suitable for the entire community and she hopes that everyone will take advantage of it. She also feels that many of the changes serve to create a more uniform look across campus. In place of the old Fitness Center, we have furnished a Studio, which will house multiple curricular and extracurricular activities. The mirrors in the room will make it a great spot for the dance class to rehearse. And the school cheerleaders
can use it to practice — especially when the South Florida weather turns inclement. Studentathletes will also be able to meet with coaches in large groups in this space. In addition, wellness classes will take place in this studio space. There will be different types of classes — ranging from yoga to Zumba — which will allow faculty and staff to stay healthy after the workday.
The Palmer Trinity Gymnasium also saw some major changes this summer. The fluorescent lighting has now been replaced by LED lights — a gracious donation from the Reynolds family. “Our basketball and volleyball players will be able to track the ball better against the light,” said Mr. Robertson. “Aesthetically, it also looks great when you walk in.” Other aesthetic changes have also been included. The ceiling beams have been painted navy blue and the white color of the gym has been touched up. To help divide the gym space, a retractable center curtain has been installed. “Now it’s much safer,” Mr. Robertson said. “We can do a bunch of different things with each half without having to mix younger athletes and older athletes. We can also solve conflicts between practices for different sports.” During winter break renovations will continue. The gym floor will be redone and the upper school bleachers will be replaced to match the motorized navy blue
middle school bleachers. Another improvement that Mr. Robertson raved about was the addition of commercial closets. They should be very difficult to damage and they will force the athletics and physical education departments to be more efficient with their storage. Sports fans will now be able to appreciate better sound with upgrades to the audio system. This improvement will also be felt during convocations, as will the addition of three rear-projection video screens. The locker rooms and bathrooms have also been upgraded. The bathrooms are now walled with tile and the center island of lockers in both the boy’s and girl’s locker rooms have been removed. Now, coaches can do “chalk talk” with whiteboards on TVs so that they can game-plan.
Beyond everything, Mr. Robertson feels that these upgrades improve the School across the board. “It enhances the feeling and spirit of the School,” he said. “And it puts us more on the cutting-edge.”
oPPosite PaGe (top) New LED lights brighten up the PTS Gymnasium. (bottom) Students can now enjoy the new state-of-the-art Falcon Fitness Center. this PaGe (top) The Gym Lobby received a new makeover. (bottom) The new Studio is a great space for members of the PTS community.
Behind The Falcon: Armando Molina
Written by M A i A Su AZ o-M ALER ‘15
From painting to grooming athletic fields, Armando Molina has been an active part of our Palmer Trinity Maintenance Staff since 1998. Originally from Cuba, Armando moved to Miami in 1994 and began working at PTS four years later. His wife, Odalys, had already been working on the cleaning staff at PTS for a few years, and Armando was soon encouraged to join the maintenance staff as well. Working alongside his wife, Armando’s experience at PTS has made him feel like he’s in his second home. Now in his 16th year, Armando has developed strong friendships among his staff members, and states, “my friends are one of my favorite things about working at Palmer Trinity School.” Armando Molina is yet another cheerful member of our loyal maintenance staff who strives to prepare and beautify our campus each and every day.
LEGACY GIVING
The best way to ensure the gift of education for generations of students is through a legacy gift. This type of gift keeps on giving, providing funds to prolong our mission to inspire students to lead lives of honor, integrity and social responsibility.
How does a gift keep on giving? By making a legacy gift to our school’s Endowment fund, the interest earned on your gift may be reinvested in the school. Anyone can make a legacy gift. no matter the amount, each gift builds our Endowment and provides a lasting source of funding for our students and faculty.
We often refer to charitable gifts made through a will or trust as “planned gifts,” as opposed to outright gifts for building and renovation or Annual fund gifts for ongoing operations. Through a planned gift, you are leaving a legacy for the life of your School beyond your own time.
“The greatest gift we can give Palmer Trinity School and our students is the gift of education.”
—
JACK BRUMBAUGH, Past Board
of
Trustee Chair
Contact Lauren Dowlen at ldowlen@palmertrinity.org or (305) 969-4282 for more information about leaving a legacy for Palmer Trinity students.
I N THE FIRST HALF OF THE track and field season, for Sofia Iglesias ‘17 to break a Palmer Trinity School record was about as inevitable as stepping on the team bus. In her first meet at the Varsity level, she obliterated the school record in the discus by thirty feet.
However, Iglesias’s record-breaking trend came to a screeching halt. Her back began to bother her because of a re-aggravated injury from basketball season. She got to a point where she couldn’t throw at all — and that was bad news,
Record-Breaking Freshman Dominates Track and Field Season
Written by P RES ton Mi CHELS on, ‘13
because Districts were only three weeks away. So the time came and Iglesias entered Districts in early April with low expectations. “A top-four finish in discus would’ve been nice,” said Phil Gentiles, head coach of the team. “But we figured she had no chance in the shot put.”
After five rounds in the discus, she was not throwing her best. But she was throwing well enough to place fourth. With one throw left, Iglesias’s competitiveness shone through. She tossed well enough to win the District Championship and despite holding back in the shot put, she still finished in fourth place and advanced to Regionals. Iglesias was not all recovered, however. She took part in just two limited practices leading up to the regional meet. This time around, Iglesias
District Champions: Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team
Written by K ELSE y M AGE n HE i MER ‘14
W HEN J OFFRE “S AL” S ALA z AR , coach of the Palmer Trinity Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse team, stepped up two weeks before the beginning of the 2013 season, he had never coached girls’ lacrosse. Last year, he learned along with the girls and coached them all the way through a tough loss at District Finals against their rival, Coral Shores. This season, under his guidance, the team made it back to District Finals and earned the District Championship, going undefeated in District 32!
Salazar, who has been the Miami Herald AllDade Girls’ Lacrosse Coach of the Year for two years in a row, says that, above all, his goal is to spread the love of the game. “If they love the game,” Sal says, “they want to do what they can to be the best person they can for their team.” The Falcons had a total of 11 wins and 3 losses, and made it to the Sweet Sixteen during
Regionals this year. They dominated the All-Dade list with 5 girls (Carolina Casariego ‘14, Ana Casariego ‘14, Hana Borhani ‘14, Monica Reinhard ‘14, Galicia Rothe ‘14) on the First Team and 3 girls (Francesca Luria ‘14, Valentina Lopez ‘17, Kelsey Magenheimer ‘14) on the Honorable Mentions list. In addition, Senior Carolina Casariego was named Miami Herald Player of the Year. The team, which was comprised of students ranging from 7th to 12th grade, has lost 11 Seniors. Salazar says he wants people to know “how proud [he is], really, of all of the girls who are leaving. How disappointed [he is], but proud to see them leave.” According to Sal, the Seniors shaped his coaching method with their maturity, their experience, and their leadership. In return, the girls believe he has changed them as players and as people. They
was in third place after five rounds in the discus. Just as she did at Districts, she showed her strength in her final throw. This time it measured 102’-5”, breaking her own record by nearly four feet. She finished as the Regional runner-up and advanced to the State Finals.
“Going into the last throw, I just thought ‘All or nothing!’” Iglesias said. “This might be my last throw for the season. And it worked out.”
Despite wind and rain making for horrible throwing conditions at the state meet, Iglesias had her second-best throw ever and finished tenth overall. She ended the year as the top-ranked freshman discus thrower in the State 1A Division and the fourthranked shot putter in the State, to boot.
agree with Galicia Rothe ‘14, who says, “Sal is the best coach the team has ever had.” Monica Reinhard ‘14 says that the team’s unique bond was what allowed them to get to Regionals. Being “friends on and off the field” was what made the Falcons so strong, she says. No one describes the team’s relationship better, however, than Camille Plunkett ‘14. “Win or lose, we did it as a team and a family—making Sal, each other, and Palmer Trinity proud.”
The girls Varsity lacrosse team celebrates their undefeated District victory.
Welcome to the PTS Family
E RIC B ALLESTEROS Librarian
eDU caTI on
Florida International University – B.A. in Liberal Studies
Florida State University – M.L.S. in Library Sciences
+ Educator for over 15 years.
+ Tech-savvy/knowledgeable.
+ Easily approachable.
R OBERT (B OB ) B ARRY Chemistry
eDU caTI on
Pennsylvania State University – B.S. in Secondary Education
+ New to Miami.
+ Graduated from Penn State in May.
+ Huge sports fan, especially football.
+ Very involved in fraternity, Sigma Nu.
M ELISSA B ES k E Upper School History
eDU caTI on
Vanderbilt University – B.A. in Sociology
Tulane University – M.A. in Anthropology
Tulane University – Ph.D. in Anthropology
+ Working in Belize since 2002, studying Mayan archaeology at first, then cultural anthropology of gender-based violence.
+ Opened the country’s second women’s shelter in 2008. Has since aided approximately 3,000 survivors of violence from Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico.
+ Enjoys Scuba diving in Indonesia!
A RIEL C ABRERA Physics and Mathematics
eDU caTI on
Florida International University –B.S. in Physics
University of Cambridge (England)Certificate in Education
+ Loves playing tennis, basketball, and paintball.
+ Did research in nanotechnology.
+ Grew up in Canada.
M ARY E LLEN C ASSINI Chaplain
eDU caTI on
Barry University – B.A. in History
Barry University – M.A. in English
Barry University – D.Min. in Practical Theology
+ Native Miamian.
+ Episcopal priest.
+ Experience in many schools in the South Florida area.
J ENNIFER C ERDA
Physical Education, Health and Wellness Teacher, and Softball Coach
eDU caTI on
Barry University – B.S. in Sport and Recreation Management
+ Taught for 12 years at Lourdes Academy.
+ Married to husband Peter with twin five-year-old girls.
S COTT DU F EU
Middle School Mathematics
eDU caTI on
University of Portsmouth (England) – B.A. in Psychology
Bath University (England) – P.G.C.E. in Mathematics Education
+ Educated in England.
+ Moved to the United States in 1984.
+ Third term of duty at Palmer Trinity School (1985-90), (1998-2005).
+ Has coached varsity soccer at Palmer Trinity since 2011.
+ Has two children who both graduated from Palmer Trinity, Ashley ‘12 and Daniel ‘14.
C HARLIE D UFFY
Admissions/College Counseling
eDU caTI on
Florida Atlantic University – B.B.A. in Marketing
+ Originally from Philadelphia. Has lived in South Florida for over 12 years.
+ Worked in Undergraduate Admissions at FAU, Nova Southeastern University, and, most recently, the University of California, San Diego.
+ Interests include: scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and hiking.
C AROLINE H AMMERSCHLAG
Chemistry
eDU caTI on
Université de Lausanne (Switzerland) – B.S. in Biology
University of Miami – M.S. Equivalent in Marine Biology
Florida International University – Ph.D. in Biology
+ Born and raised in Switzerland.
+ Loves sharks and Starbucks (as well as her husband and son).
+ Enjoys yoga, rollerblading, and reading.
R ACHELE H UELSMAN
Development/Annual Fund
eDU caTI on
Simmons College – B.A. in Political Science and Economics
Trinity College – M.A. in Public Policy
+ 9-10 years of Annual Fund experience.
+ Former roller derby queen!
+ Moved to Miami from Boston, accompanied by her four dogs.
zAHRA J AMAL
Upper School Religious Studies
eDU caTI on
Rice University – B.A. in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
Rice University – B.A. in Slavic Studies
Harvard University – M.A. in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies
Harvard University – Ph.D. in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies
+ Distinguished published writer.
+ Took a trip this summer to Tanzania with her family to open a hospital.
R OBERT (B OBBY ) M OORE
Middle School Science and Mathematics
eDU caTI on
University of Miami – B.A. in Marine Affairs
University of Miami – M.A. in Marine Affairs
Tufts University – M.A. in Teaching in Elementary STEM
+ Graduated from Palmer Trinity School in 2005.
+ Met wife, Sam Evans ‘06, at PTS. They have a new baby boy named Cameron!
A NNE N EYRA
Upper School English
eDU caTI on
University of Derby (England)
- B.A. in English
University of Cambridge (England) - Certificate in Education
+ Has been teaching for 10 years.
+ Played basketball in college.
+ Met husband on South Beach. Recently moved to this area and is working on citizenship.
G INA P APINEAU
Upper School English and Green Sky Blue Grass Adviser
eDU caTI on
Western Michigan University – B.B.A.
University of Phoenix – M.A. in Secondary Education
Western Michigan University – M.A. in English
+ 10th year of teaching.
+ Avid reader and cyclist.
G ABRIELA P AR í S
French and Spanish
eDU caTI on
University of Puerto Rico – B.A. in French
Syracuse University –M.A. in French and Francophone Studies
Syracuse University – M.A. in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture
+ Has lived and studied in different countries, such as Canada and Spain.
M ANJULA S ALOMON
Global Scholar in Residence
eDU caTI on Doctorate from University of Massachusetts in Amherst
+ Married in Teheran, Iran.
+ First job with Americans was teaching Vietnamese history to U.S. soldiers in Saigon.
+ Daughter was given to her as an infant by Mother Teresa.
A NDERSON S TEWART
World Languages
eDU caTI on The Citadel – B.A. in Modern Languages
Middlebury College – A.M. in Hispanic Studies
University of Kentucky – Ph.D in Hispanic Studies (expected Summer 2014)
+ Originally from Trinidad and Tobago.
+ Currently completing a dissertation for a Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from the University of Kentucky.
P AUL zAME k
Associate Head of School, Director of Real Estate
eDU caTI on Lehigh University – B.A. in Urban Studies & Architecture
Columbia University –Master of Architecture
+ Robert A.M. Stern was his mentor in New York.
+ Fluent in Czech (his last name means “Castle”).
+ Avid tennis player.
STa FF an D
Fac U lT y c H ange S
P ETE T OLMACH Head of Middle School
N OEL S CHAEL Dean of Middle School
B ROO k B ODIE Dean of Upper School
A DRIANNA T RUBY Academic Dean
E RNEST R OBERTSON Athletic Director
J UDI J ENNINGS Assistant Athletic Director/ PE Department Chair
M AR k H AYES English Department Chair
T IM C ASSEL Math Department Chair
G AYLE P AGNONI Religious Studies Department Chair
T RACI H OLSTEIN Science Department Chair/ 9th Grade Lead Advisor
M ELISSA R OGERS 8th Grade Lead Advisor
C RISTIE V ASSILAROS 6th Grade Lead Advisor
L AUREN D OWLEN Assistant Director of Development/ Director of Alumni Relations and Planned Giving
M ONICA S ANCHE z Director of Events and Parent Relations
kATIE L AMIELL New Teacher Mentor
L EOPOLDO L LIN Á S Director of Environmental Stewardship
I RAIDA R OBLEDO ESL Teacher/College Counselor
R UTHANNE V OGEL Part-time status (Librarian)
Agents of Change:
LeARNiNG iNNOVATiON AND SOCiAL
eNTRePReNeuRShiP
Written by DR. L E o P o LD o L L iná S , Director of Environmental Stewardship
L AST YEAR , PALMER T RINITY
School established a strategic alliance with a Galapagos apparel company, Lonesome George & Co., in order to offer a new Upper School elective. Named to honor the last surviving giant Pinta Island Tortoise (ca. 1910-2012), the company strives “to inspire and empower youth to positively impact their communities to actively shape our future before it’s too late.” Toward this goal, Lonesome George & Co. has established partnerships with Outward Bound and Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs with practical ideas for solving social problems as innovators for the public. As the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide with over 6,000 venture teams in 23 countries and online, Ashoka also has an office in South Florida. Ashoka aims to support youth in their altruistic endeavors through its Youth Venture Program. This fall, PTS is offering Social Entrepreneurship, coordinated by Dr. Leopoldo Llinás, as a new elective in the curriculum for students 15 and older who apply during the previous spring.
The objective of the full year academic course, Social Entrepreneurship, is to empower idealistic young people with the necessary skills and experiences to design, launch, and run their own ventures for social change. The course combines Outward Bound’s Experiential Learning methodology and adventure with the framework of Ashoka’s Youth Venture Program.
Led by an Outward Bound instructor, each of six modules focuses on a different theme and takes place in a different location. As Academy Coordinator, Dr. Llinás is present at all sessions. Moreover, students prepare for each module and follow up afterward with activities in daily class work at Palmer Trinity with him.
1. DISCOVERING M YSELF
Asheville, N.C.
September, 2014
2. F INDING M Y VOICE
Central Florida, FL November, 2014
3. I A M M Y C OMMUNITY
Everglades City, FL December, 2014
4. F INDING M Y PASSION
The Andes Mountains, Ecuador February, 2015
5. S ETTING U P M Y DREAM
Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador February, 2015
6. PRESENTING M Y I NITIATIVE
Palmer Trinity School, FL April, 2015
Exploring these wondrous, natural marine and mountainous environments away from their familiar surroundings will enable students to experience moments that will illuminate their personal vision. Dr. Llinás is also arranging a series of guest speakers, beginning in midOctober with Palmer Trinity alumna Caiti
Pomerance ‘07, President and a Founder of Debris Free Oceans. Rodrigo Bravo, Senior Director of Operations of the American Business Council Foundation where he manages the Cauce Ciudadano and The Healing Power of Music initiatives, will follow later in the semester.
As they widen their perspective, deepen their empathy, develop leadership capabilities, learn communication strategies, and recognize the importance of systemic thinking, participants should also realize that they are a vital part of the system in which they live and, therefore, fully understand the impact of their own choices. They should gain a sense of personal responsibility towards the community and be able to design their own social initiatives. Parallel to these transformational experiences, once they have defined their objectives, students learn about financing their ventures, fundraising ideas, budget management, and project sustainability. The course culminates with student presentations of their initiatives to a panel of community leaders who have the potential to help fund their ideas and bring them to fruition. Afterward, work on implementation is on the agenda for the remaining classes.
Social Entrepreneurship offers participants the necessary support in acquiring the experience and confidence to achieve success not only in their own projects, clubs, companies or civic groups, but also in developing skills that will allow them to be powerful agents of change throughout their lives.
SAGe: Setting A Good example
A H , LUNCH PERIOD . T HE LONG lines, the scary lunch ladies, and the unidentifiable slop spooned onto your plastic tray. You wouldn’t dare ask what those green bits were in the tuna casserole or why it smelled so funny. At Palmer Trinity School, SAGE Dining Services® provides a very different experience from what most of us remember in grade school.
SAGE or Setting A Good Example offers food and catering services for independent schools and private colleges nationwide. Each week, SAGE provides over 250 fresh, balanced, nutritional meal options to Palmer Trinity School students, faculty, and staff.
From sauces and soup stocks to house-roasted deli meats and a wide variety of salad bar items, SAGE Staff prepares each and every dish fresh daily. “Our philosophy is simple. We make real, made from scratch food,” says Brian Schachter, Food Service Director at Palmer Trinity School. “If we’re making it I know what’s in the food.”
Every menu is vigorously inspected ahead of time by SAGE’s Registered Dietitians to ensure that there is variety, balance, and moderation. Parents who are concerned about food allergens have the ability through the School’s website to view weekly food choices and examine ingredients that go into the dishes. Two WillBoards in the Main Dining Room also serve as an educational tool for students interested in learning more about daily food options.
Education is an extremely important part of SAGE’s mission. Each month, SAGE offers a program called Educational Seasonings, which focuses on some aspect of food history, culture, or production. One of the first units last year focused on eating locally sourced
Written by D A ni EL Mutt ER , Communications Coordinator
foods and sustainable eating practices.
In collaboration with Dr. Llinás’ Science classes, a local beekeeper taught students a lesson on the importance of locally sourced honey, how it is produced, and how it differs from store bought honey. During lunch periods that day, SAGE Staff prepared a display with home made buttermilk biscuits and a variety of locally sourced honeys for students to sample.
“Eating local is more than just a trend in food service these days, it really is a way of life,” says Chef Brian. “At SAGE we strive to be as creative as possible while still developing menus that highlight both local and seasonal ingredients.”
Over two dozen farms within 100 miles of the School contribute to the fresh produce available daily at Palmer Trinity. SAGE also incorporates fresh produce grown by students on campus in the PTS Garden. “We always put a sign up. It’s part of our ‘From Here. From Near.’ program. So we’ll say, ‘the zucchini is grown right here on campus’ or ‘the okra in the gumbo is grown right here on PTS Farms.’ Students love that. I love that. It’s so important to know where the food comes from.”
The dedicated, hard-working individuals of SAGE have become more than food servers, they are a valued part of the Palmer Trinity School community. Last year, after the tragic passing of SAGE Staff member Michael Figueroa, the PTS Community banded together to raise money and locate a new apartment and furniture for the family. School Counselor Rita Feild also provided counseling for SAGE Staff members, who were deeply affected by the sudden loss. Each day, students, faculty, and staff look forward to wonderful food service thanks to SAGE Staff. “I know that the students love school and I know that they’ll have great classes and teachers,” says Chef Brian, “but I want lunchtime to be the best part of their day where they can find food that they love and have a great time eating it.”
toP: PTS students bring fresh greens from the PTS Garden. BottoM: The extended SAGE Dining Staff during a special Faculty/Staff Luncheon.
PALMeR TRiNiTY SChOOL BOARD OF TRuSTeeS NeW MeMBeRS
Palmer Trinity School is pleased to announce the appointments of new Board of Trustees, H UGO M ANTILLA , R IVA S TEINMAN , AND C AMILO M ONTANA .
“Selecting board members who will support a school’s efforts to nurture both academic skills and character development can be a formidable task,” says Michael Baiamonte, Board Chairman. “ Our new trustees are committed to helping us continue our mission, and we are confident their insights will help to ensure that PTS continues to offer a unique independent school experience.”
H UGO M ANTILLA is an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley. Mantilla previously served as co-head of the Latin American Diversity Council at Lehman Brothers, and as president of School and Home and board member of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School. He is currently a member of the Ashoka Support Network. Mantilla has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern New Hampshire University, an MBA from Columbia University, and a master’s from the London Business School.
R IVA S TEINMAN is a mother of three, including an assistant attorney general, a PTS graduate and a PTS senior. Steinman is active in community service, and volunteers as a board member for the following organizations in addition to Palmer Trinity School: South Dade YMCA, Bet Shira Congregation, Baptist Hospital Foundation, and United Way Tocqueville Society. Steinman has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami.
C AMILO M ONTANA is a real estate developer and investor from Bogota, Colombia. He and his wife Silvia have four children and reside in Key Biscayne. Their two oldest children are students at Palmer Trinity. Montana is affiliated with several organizations that focus on education and health in order to help those less fortunate in his homeland of Colombia. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston University and an MBA from the University of Miami.
Circle of Trust
Written by R EVERE n D D R . M AR y E LLE n C ASS ini, Chaplain
“ f in ALLy, BR ot HERS A n D S i S t ERS , whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
– P HILIPPIANS 4:8
Peace be unto you! Beginning my vocational ministry at Palmer Trinity School is an exciting new adventure. I experience major life transitions as journeys into a new context filled with happenstances of opportunities and challenges. Meeting new people and beginning to realize the rich texture of various individuals that we meet on our travels provide each of us with a more expansive and vivid sense of creation. We face a variety of situations, from each of which we learn new life lessons.
I agree with Stephen Covey that, as a member of a community, we are called to learn dependence, interdependence, and independence. As a school it is essential for each person to grow into his or her identity, while also contributing as a vital part of the community. According to Parker Palmer,
In a circle of trust, we practice the paradox of “being alone together,” of being present to one another as a “community of solitudes.” Those phrases sound like contradictions because we think of solitude and community as either-or. But solitude and community, rightly understood, go together as both-and. To understand true self—which knows who we are in our inwardness and whose we are in the larger world—we need both interior intimacy that comes with solitude and the otherness that comes with community.
As an Episcopal school, Palmer Trinity is grounded in the notion that our treatment of one another is paramount as a reflection of our respect for the Divine. Our Episcopal identity is revealed through our living into our mission that revolves around the moral, spiritual, intellectual, creative, and physical development of each individual. The mind, body and spirit are interrelated, thus all three must be nurtured individually and in community. Good relationships are the essence of healthy and productive lives. In the Judeo-Christian tradition one is called to love God, neighbor, and self. My relationships to the divine, my family, as well as the community in which I work, all determine the quality of my life. The cornerstone of any success in life is grounded in relationship.
As the daughter of an Australian war bride and a United States Army-Air Force lieutenant, I was raised to respect the global nature of our lives. Additionally, I am an Episcopal priest married to a devout Roman Catholic with a Jewish grandson. I am committed to reaching out to the rich diversity of believers and non-believers. We learn from one another as we share life together in community.
My commitment as the School Chaplain is to foster and sustain the Episcopal identity of Palmer Trinity School as well as to recognize and nurture the spiritual dimension of the school’s mission. The pastoral role of the School Chaplain is to provide a non-anxious presence for students and faculty. The Chaplaincy Office is located in the Library, and it is a safe place open to support pastoral needs in an environment of confidentiality.
As Alfred, Lord Tennyson so eloquently states in his poem Ulysses, “I am a part of all that I have met.” I look forward to becoming part of the community of Palmer Trinity School. Please stop by the Chaplain’s office in the Library.
aBove Marty Cassini (Son), Mary Ellen Cassini, Gretchen Cassini (Daughterin-Law), Justin Cassini (Grandson), Matthew Cassini (Son), Charles Cassini (Husband)
e3: explore educate engage
Written by C R i S ti E V ASS i LAR o S , 8th Grade Lead Advisor
T HE MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS ARE full of curiosity, challenges, discovery, and enlightenment. Each grade offers a unique experience that allows children to blossom into excited learners and thoughtful citizens. In sixth grade, students participate in many hands-on activities and lessons that help them discover their interest and goals. In the seventh grade, we hope for students to explore different possibilities, ideas, learning styles and methods. In eighth grade, students are expected to gather all the knowledge and skills they have acquired to date during their middle school experience and use them to build a strong foundation for the Upper School; our goal is for the students to make connections. Throughout the process, faculty members and administrators offer guidance, support, and encouragement to allow the children to begin their academic journey well prepared and excited for the future.
In connection with this theme, the eighth grade faculty designed a new project with an interdisciplinary focus. During the second semester, eighth grade students were fully immersed in a project entitled “E3: Explore. Engage. Educate.” The driving force behind the creation of this assignment was allowing the students to choose the direction and focus of their work. By giving the students this creative freedom, we were aiming for increased participation and a thoughtful and comprehensive portfolio at the end of the year.
Ex PLORE
Explore, the first of the project’s three parts, consisted of a research phase where students were asked to pick a topic of interest to them. Right after February break, the E3 kickoff allowed students to explore their choice of three topics by attending seminars with a panel of
guest speakers, followed by afternoon seminars presenting a set of research skills. Some of our guest speakers included faculty member Raul Gonzalez exploring Arts & Culture, Ron Magill from Zoo Miami discussing animals and the environment, and Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner reviewing hot topics in politics, to name a few. During their afternoon session, students had an in-depth review of the Library Resources and research skills with our librarian Ruthanne Vogel, American Studies teacher Fred Truby, and Physical Science teacher Jan Tobin. The students also participated in instructional sessions about writing abstracts with English teacher Micah Whitley and the usage of Google Docs and teacher/student communication with Lead Advisor, Cristie Vassilaros. Once the students were armed with all of this information, they were asked to finalize their topics and begin work. Students were given two months to compose a research paper, citing academic sources, with the overall objective of identifying an area of need or a problem, which they could address in the subsequent phases. Each core class dedicated multiple class periods to the maintenance and development of this phase and to the entirety of the project. We also utilized Advisory as a way to assist students throughout the process.
E NGAGE
Engage was the action phase of the project. We wanted students to be difference makers on a local or global scale. We wanted them to find a way to better a cause or assist in creating awareness surrounding a particular area of need. Students were given the freedom to approach this in many different ways. Some examples of how they tackled this phase included business
proposals, surveys, journal articles, advertising campaigns, fundraisers, club/organization involvement, and writing to Representatives. Students dedicated substantial time and effort to their causes. We were astounded at the outcome. Students reached out to major decision makers in the community and asked for advice and guidance. Students united to raise money to purchase a water filter for our school’s mission trip to Haiti. Others spoke to administrators at our own school to encourage efforts in sustainability and the arts.
E DUCATE
Educate, the final phase, consisted of a presentation during Finals Week to peers and a panel of teachers, summarizing their research, action plan and areas of future needs. The students were nervous about this aspect of the project. They were given 5 minutes to explain and exhibit their accomplishments; in a room with 13 peers and four teachers, this was quite a feat for them. Students used innovative digital presentations, beautiful visual displays, carefully crafted arguments, and perfect public speaking skills to convey their successes.
The eighth grade faculty could not be more proud of the class of 2018 for their ability to take our E3 vision and make it a reality. Their drive, hard work, and accomplishments were all above and beyond what our initial goal was for this project. We hope that these students can offer their guidance and advice to future eighth graders. Inspired by an ability to pursue their own goals and interests, our students made a difference in the community while refining their academic skills and practicing effective communication with both teachers and peers - an educator’s dream!
Zoo miami’s communications and media relations Director ron magill pays a visit to e3 students.
FReSh ROOTS One Teacher's Radical Revisions
Written by M ARK E. H A y ES , English Department Chair
M Y FATHER WAS A CAREER EDUCATOR . H E
began teaching in 1966 – Civics and U.S. History – and, over the years, moved also into coaching and administration, right up until his retirement in 1996, whereupon he spent another six years teaching education classes at the University of Maine at Farmington. Early in my own career as an educator, he always offered good advice, and, graciously, only when I asked. His greatest claim to fame as a teacher was the creation, with a colleague, of a semester-long civics simulation called “Sunshine USA” that was even featured on CBS News’ Sunday Morning.
At a particularly difficult but important point in my teaching career, my father gave me some excellent advice, advice that helped me then and that has helped me continue to avoid the burnout, boredom, and routine that can drive many teachers out of education altogether.
A S AGE ON A S TAGE (1988-1996)
It would be no surprise that many teachers at the beginnings of careers teach following the methods by which they were taught. For me, for the most part, that meant lectures, lectures, lectures, with occasional space made for discussion with students. I started teaching in the summer of 1988 (as a Physics TA) worked all the way through 1996, and most of my teaching, as I look back on it, was a largely uninterrupted – but not ineffective – monologue. For many teachers starting out, falling into lecture mode – a sage on a stage – is understandable. Young teachers often struggle to establish their own authority – command of subject matter and command of the classroom. Wielding authority subtly and with restraint takes time to feel natural, so a common strategy for the inexperienced teacher is to keep everything in order – instructor, students, and method – so that control can be maintained. The students come to be seen as empty vessels (which they are not) and to fill those vessels with information is the teacher’s task (which it is not). Many traditionalists and some students find this “information distribution” model comfortable.
A S EAT AT A T ABLE (1997-2004)
By 1997, after a full decade in the classroom, I had my stuff locked down: lectures, students, classrooms. I was efficient, knowledgeable, and always in charge. And I was bored out of my mind. When I mentioned this frustration to my father, who was on the verge of his own retirement, he plainly pointed out that most people – particularly teachers – get burned out in a job after about 10 years. So I asked what I was supposed to do. He suggested that I could change careers, or, if I still wanted to teach, I would have to reinvent myself in the classroom. From the roots, the ground up. Get radical about it.
It was a very specific phone call that I can still remember. “You can teach for 40 years,” he said, “or you can teach the same year 40 times.”
So I went back to school – graduate school, that is, and split my studies at the University of South Florida between American Literature and writing – in the latter area, how digital technology was changing our notions of literacy. The obvious change to my lessons came in the increase of e-mail, chat rooms, MOO’s and MUD’s – all new writing environments, brought about with the advent of laptop learning. But more fundamentally, I got rid of my precious lectern – and eventually, my desk – and structured my lessons to be about student-based discussions. Then I called it forum; at Palmer Trinity, we call it Harkness. I had a seat at the table and talked with my students rather than wielding authority over them. Skills and knowledge were gradually constructed by students across a variety of interactive environments in which I best served as a guide and expert.
A S TRANGER IN A S TRANGE L AND (2004-2014)
I found that, having undertaken one radical revision as a teacher, it became easier for me to periodically examine how I might find fresh approaches in the classroom. Feedback from students and colleagues was often essential for
“...what makes Palmer Trinity most special (is the) sense of a learning community where we all make a point of knowing each student, teaching them wherever and whoever they may be, and caring about their learning as we would want for ourselves.”
this process. In 2004, my personal circumstances provided me with the time and freedom to travel much more than I had in the past.
On a long shot, I applied for a summer teacher seminar with the National Endowment for the Humanities. I was fortunate to be accepted to study, in London, in a course called “Colonialism’s Impact on British National Identity,” taught by literature professor Anu Needham and history professor Steven Volk, both from Oberlin. It was a truly interdisciplinary course, the likes of which I’d taken at Amherst and which I’d been trying to build at Palmer Trinity in bridging American Literature and US History. I returned from London with the notion that an interdisciplinary course is like a child – or, rather, it is the particular offspring of the teachers working together to assemble the course – especially in the setting of an independent school. When, in the years to follow, I was fortunate enough to work with colleagues in crossing English with Biology (Ms. Winn) or with Religious Studies (Mr. Collins) or with Physics (Mr. Rizvi) or History (Mr. Godley and Dr. Regalado), each of those units or courses bore the clear imprint of the personalities of the teachers involved – and necessarily so. These approaches helped students understand that the separation of their studies into different and discrete subjects or disciplines is largely an efficiency imposed by institutional frameworks.
More importantly, for my own development, it was exciting to grow by learning to think differently. An English teacher in a Biology or a Physics classroom is indeed a stranger in a strange land. But to move out of my own discipline (textual interpretation and linguistic composition) to understand how a scientist or historian thinks about the classroom and the world has been good for the intellect and even better for the soul.
A H ANDFUL OF H ANDMADE L ESSONS
Eventually, my habit of reinvention has become a necessity. I have become better at recognizing the warning signs of when I’m becoming a little bored or complacent in the
classroom. I tend to rely a bit too readily on previous incarnations of myself. Discussions might digress too easily into digressions on religion or science or history rather than remain focused on the literary reading of the day; I might schedule one too many Harkness discussions in a given week; at worst, I’ll lecture for the entire period. I don’t think that I’m a horrible teacher on any of those days, but I know they are signals to me (and me alone) that it’s time to pull things up by the roots and replant. When I think about my favorite teaching moments in the past few years, almost all of them have happened in one-on-one discussions with students – working out preliminary ideas for an essay, editing a troublesome paragraph, dissecting a particularly thorny passage of poetry, clarifying a difficult concept, or even gentle advice in the face of a young person’s delicate dilemma. Always, always, those best moments are with a particular student, in a particular moment in time, addressing a particular problem or question or issue. Those lessons are unique – handmade, I would call them. I have a handful of them from my recent days at Palmer Trinity; I reckon I need to gather some more. So I’ll start digging around in the dirt over the summer with that idea in mind.
Maybe the one-on-one approach is also a backlash against the growth of standardization, against mandated frameworks and common cores, and against the encroachment of the testing regime across almost all of American education. At Palmer Trinity, most of those pressures don’t make it past the front gate. And when I consider what makes Palmer Trinity most special across grade levels and among departments, it’s that sense of a learning community where we all make a point of knowing each student, teaching them wherever and whoever they may be, and caring about their learning as we would want for ourselves. We would all love to learn in a place that, when the moment called, the perfect lesson appeared, providing what that student, and that student alone, needed most to learn.
It would be a lesson very much like the one I learned in that phone conversation I had with my father back in 1997.
The author, age one, receiving a lesson in writing his name from Phil Hayes, his father, a lifelong educator.
Music: Playing a Vital Role in Developing the Whole Child
Written by A PR i L q u EE n, Strings Director
T HE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR HAS FINALLY DESCENDED upon Palmer Trinity School campus. As teachers and staff wave farewell to graduating seniors, school doors open to the newest cast of Falcons. Before these young scholars can begin to leave their mark on PTS and before class schedules are assigned, placement tests are administered. However, not all of the placements are academic.
For over a decade, every new 6th grade student enrolled at Palmer Trinity is registered in a music class. But why? Why do we put so much importance on our students experiencing
music as part of their curriculum? The PTS mantra keeps coming to mind; we are educating the whole child.
Musical instruments have been a part of human existence for tens of thousands of years. Music has been a significant aspect of educational systems for nearly 3,000 years. Even if you have never touched a musical instrument, music is a part of your daily life. How many times have you sung in the shower or while idling in traffic? How many times did your parents soothe your fear with a simple lullaby? Would your favorite movie or TV show have the same impact without its soundtrack? Music can teach students that small differences can have large effects. Think about the Jaws theme song for a second. Dah…da. This theme song made millions of moviegoers afraid to go back in the water, yet it is based on the smallest musical interval.
While many schools may mass enroll their 6th graders into a single music class, Palmer Trinity is unique in the music classes we offer to our 6th graders. Our incoming 6th graders have the choice between Band, Chorus, Orchestra, or Guitar. We even give the students a chance to experience each section before making a choice. They get a chance to sing, hear and even play instruments
Students get the chance to handle a variety of different instruments on Music Placement Day.
during the music placements so they can get a good idea of what they will experience throughout their 6th grade year.
Being in a music class teaches students how to work together cooperatively. Much like a sports team, the success of the group depends on everyone’s effort. Despite differences or similarities with your stand partner, what matters is the music you make together. Music helps us celebrate our different perspectives and cultures, and we learn that problems can have more than one answer. We are not limited to choosing bubble A, B, C or D for the correct answer. In music and the arts, we have the opportunity to blend our opinions and ideas together to find the “correct answer.” We also have the freedom to change and tweak that “correct answer” from day to day to suit our needs for expression. Music teaches students that words and numbers are not the only ways to communicate what we know. Music and the arts give kids a way to express themselves when they cannot find the words to convey their feelings and emotions. Spending a year in a music ensemble teaches the 6th graders a new
skill; they learn to read and understand a complex system of symbols. In other words, they learn to read music. They learn to be disciplined and how to stand in front of a crowd to perform. Most of all, finishing a year of music instruction gives the students something to be proud of accomplishing. Music in a school’s curriculum also symbolizes to students what adults believe is important. There are many studies showing that involvement in music and the arts has positive influence on other academic areas like reading, writing, and mathematics. However, a school should not promote music simply to justify higher scores in other classes or standardized tests. Music is equally important as any other academic area to a well-rounded curriculum and to the education of the whole child. In the words of Albert Einstein, physicist and violinist, “Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts.”
Performing Arts Chair Tim Lester and Alumni Parent and Board of Trustee Member Bronwen Rutter talk to students about opportunities in the Middle School Chorus.
Travel to Cambodia Provides a Transformative experience to educators
Written by D R . L E o L L iná S , Director of Environmental Stewardship
D URING A 2014 SUMMER trip to Cambodia, Palmer Trinity teachers Leopoldo Llinás and Peter Masteller partnered with teachers from four other independent schools across the United States to have a diverse and varied in-country experience. The goal of this collaborative expedition with the Global Education Benchmark Group was to promote the development of global citizens in independent schools through global curriculum, experiences, and institutional support.
The participant schools in the exploratory trip were Palmer Trinity School, HeadRoyce School in Oakland, California, The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, Providence Day School in
Charlotte, North Carolina, and Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Before the trip, educators learned about Cambodia’s tragic recent history through selective readings including First They Killed My Father by Luong Ong and Cambodia’s Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land by Joel Brinkley. They also watched films such as The Killing Fields by Roland Joffé, Born Sweet by Cynthia Wade, and A River Changes Course by Kalyanee Mam.
In the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh, the educators came face to face with the horrific crimes of the Khmer Rouge. They visited Tuol Sleng, a former high school that the Khmer Rouge turned into a center for interrogation, torture
and death. Today, it is a museum of torture and serves to remind visitors of the terrible atrocities that came to pass in Cambodia. 17,000 people passed through the gates of this prison, and only seven lived to tell the tale. Chum Mey, one of the survivors, told them his story.
They travelled out of town to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Prisoners from Tuol Sleng followed this same route to their fate. An old Chinese cemetery, Choeung Ek, was turned into an extermination camp for political prisoners. The remains of 8,985 people were exhumed from mass graves and are kept in a memorial stupa there.
These somber parts of the trip were balanced by hopeful and uplifting visits to organizations like
“By moving beyond our comfort zone, we think more critically about the world and ourselves and become engaged and responsible global citizens.”
Footprints International School, Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, and Tiny Toones. These NGOs are doing wonderful work and deserve recognition for their efforts.
• Footprints International is a school dedicated to raising the quality of education in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The school runs a bilingual program, allowing students to develop competence in Khmer and English.
• Pour un Sourire d’Enfant works to get children out of poverty for good through education. PSE has developed several different professional training schemes tailored to the world of work.
Global Education Benchmark Group www.gebg.org
Footprints International School www.footprintsschool.edu.kh
Pour un Sourire d’Enfant www.pse.asso.fr
Tiny Toones www.tinytoones.org
• Tiny Toones Cambodia uses breakdancing, HipHop music, and the contemporary arts to reach, inspire, and educate children and young people from the poorest neighborhoods in Phnom Penh.
The educators contributed to the endeavor of these NGO’s to fight against misery, assure bright futures for the most underprivileged children in Cambodia, and put a smile back on their faces! The donations included financial support for their programs, school supplies for the students, and clothing.
A visit to Cambodia would not have been complete without learning about Cambodia’s rich ancient history. Teachers visited national monuments like Angkor Wat near Siem Reap. Believed to be the world’s largest religious building, this temple is the perfect fusion of symbolism and symmetry and a source of pride and strength to all Khmers.
Opportunities to travel abroad are a means to gain greater understanding of the world and ourselves. By moving beyond our comfort zone, we think more critically about the world and ourselves and become engaged and responsible global citizens. The trip to Cambodia was a deeply transformative experience, fundamental to a crucial awareness of global citizenship in our schools.
Below: Leopoldo Llinás delivers school supplies at the local school in Kompong Pluk (floating village), a village 18 km outside of Siem Reap.
oPPosite PaGe: Educators
lI nk S
in the GEBG Cambodia Teacher Trip Summer 2014 at Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, Phnom Penh.
The Future of Libraries
Written by Rut HA nn E Vo GEL , Librarian (part-time)
W HAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE LIBRARY ?
This is a question many ask as the world of books, newspapers and magazines becomes increasingly digital. If print were to disappear, why would we need a library? In order to try to answer these questions and to predict what may come, it is helpful to understand the workings and functions of libraries today and, perhaps even more importantly, to look into the past and learn from their foundations and development.
The two major functions of the library, historically and today, are to preserve knowledge and to provide access to it. Though the methods of accumulation and storage of data are rapidly changing, the importance of maintaining and disseminating the information has not. These two pillars of the library are still of vital import, especially as information continues to expand at an exponential rate.
Libraries were first founded as a means to archive and protect the knowledge of a people and their culture. One of the first libraries, in Alexandria, Egypt, was created with the intention to be a comprehensive archive of human knowledge, imagination, and experience. That library was eventually destroyed, and the knowledge within it was lost to mankind. Libraries today still serve that important purpose. The largest library in the world today is the Library of Congress, with a collection of more than 158 million items, including more than 36.8 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages. Many items in the collection are now one-of-a-kind and the information within
them would share the fate of the items in the Alexandria library without this important institution. Here in South Florida, you can be assured that the written and printed image records of our local history are being carefully archived by the efforts of the libraries of the University of Miami, Florida International University and the Historical Museum of South Florida, just to name a few.
A much later concept for libraries was to become portals for access to this information and places to freely obtain reading material without regard to one’s social or economic status. In the 19th century free libraries began to open, most notably those founded by Andrew Carnegie. These libraries were the first to become truly public and were soon supported by local, state and federal government funding. Libraries also became an integral part of education, built at the center of universities, colleges and schools. A recent article published by NAIS stated that, “good schools know that libraries and professional librarians are still essential to their missions. Maybe more essential than ever, if excellence in education remains the goal.”
In this new digital information age, though, many might argue that the brick and mortar library and the librarian as professional gatekeeper to the holdings are now dated and soon to be replaced by faster and better technology. Can’t we all be our own librarians with an internet connection and Google? Those who purport to believe this scenario may not understand the difficulty of navigating the digital world without proper information literacy training. Digital information does seem very easy to access, but without a deeper understanding of search techniques, one would base knowledge and decisions on a very thin layer, often mined with unreliable sources, never getting to the deeper facts. Public search engines contain hidden page ranking algorithms that display results based on the previous search and click habits of the user. Your results end up looking like what you wanted to find instead of what might be the truth.
Thus an important role of the school library and school librarian is to provide this and future generations with the skills needed to find meaningful information and make sense of it. Another vital
Carnegie library reading room — Library of Congress
Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.
function, especially for the school library, is the promotion of reading. Reading broadens our understanding of other people and places, allows us to find solutions to problems, and helps us to imagine and invent a better world for tomorrow. Author Neil Gaiman, in a lecture delivered to the Reading Agency in London, stated that prison systems use calculations to decide on future growth and plans for new buildings. One of the statistics they use is an algorithm based on what percentage of 10 and 11 year olds cannot read. A library as place provides free access to reading materials to any and all members of society. A librarian will lead you to a new book, guide you to an author that you had overlooked, or introduce a new genre that you didn’t realize you would enjoy. This is much more accurate than the “You also might like” feature on amazon.com and it is free!
The library of tomorrow will not necessarily resemble the book-filled, quiet space of yesterday. But it will still perform the same functions as the libraries of yesterday: preservation and access. A look at the new library in Palmetto Bay serves as example. There are some books for browsing, but to delve deeper into the county’s collection, you can order items to be delivered. There are computer terminals and free access to the internet. There are also meeting spaces for clubs, interest groups and other community gatherings. And, most importantly, there are librarians to guide visitors to find what they need. The school library is also changing with the times. Our holdings are now extensively online, supplemented with the depth of print volumes. Library skills lessons are built into the curriculum across the disciplines and the fiction collection grows daily to entice every reader to find something new. The library remains at the center of our school and will do so for the future to come.
Many wise people have advised looking carefully at the past before venturing haplessly into the future. Without the libraries of yesterday, we would not have the ability to remind ourselves of our history. And without the libraries of tomorrow, we could become hopelessly lost in the ever increasing complexity of the digital world. So if you need some information or just want to find a good book to read, visit your local library.
Libraries are about freedom. Freedom to read, freedom of ideas, freedom of communication. They are about education (which is not a process that finishes the day we leave school or university), about entertainment, about making safe spaces, and about access to information. – nE i L G A i MA n –
if you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. if you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. – A LBER t Ein S t E in –
Without
libraries what have we? We have no past and no future. – R A y B RADB u R y –
Taking Action to empower Women in Nicaragua
Written by L A u RA M ASSA , History and Humanities Department Chair
B EING BORN IN A DEVELOPING COUNTRY LIMITS people’s opportunities to have access to education, but being born a girl increases even more the likelihood of disrupting that cycle. Thousands of girls enter adulthood deprived of skills that enable them to prosper in life. Early marriage, multiple pregnancies, and
the abrupt experience of adulthood find women in a vulnerable situation, making it almost impossible to thrive and make a living. This is the case of many women in Chiquilistagua, Nicaragua, a community that Palmer Trinity serves with two mission trips a year.
Last year, while I taught the course Women, Culture, and Development, I had a clear goal: to translate knowledge into action by empowering women to be economically independent. With that purpose in mind, I raised funds to start a sewing cooperative in Chiquilistagua that could be the initial step towards a sustainable and better future.
In February, I traveled with Palmer Trinity’s mission trip to Nicaragua, and while we were industriously building a house for one of the local families, I held meetings with women in the community to share the idea of this project. I bought fabrics, ribbons, zippers, and scissors, and we carried with us several sewing machines donated by Mrs. and Mr. Roberts, one of our cherished families. We held meetings, made an inventory of the materials, and wrote down the names of the interested participants.
“i believe in the power of education as a transformative force in the world.”
One of the most promising and committed women capable of leading this initiative, Reyna Benavidez was chosen as head of the project. She generously offered the porch of her house as the venue for the sewing classes. In less than two days, these laborious women made eyeglass bags, small coin bags, and earrings that were sold at the International Festival. The rest of the items were bought by my colleagues, my students, and with the help of one of the most active mothers of our community, Ines Nicholls, we sold out the inventory.
toP to BottoM
Laura Massa shows women the many materials and supplies that were donated by members of the PTS Community; Women in the community created a variety of beautiful glasses cases, coin pouches, and earrings; By learning how to assemble these items, women are able to raise money for their community.
I am in permanent contact with Reyna, who is still teaching free classes three days a week to provide the basic training to the participants. I would like to continue supporting them with the construction of a permanent building that includes a small child care center for these mothers. I believe in the power of education as a transformative force in the world, so my goal is to inspire my students to be agents of change in our society so their actions can have an immediate effect on people’s lives.
graDUaTIon 2014
R EFLECTIONS
“M Y E x PERIENCE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT TRUE SUCCESS IS ATTAINED WHEN WE USE OUR TALENTS IN WAYS THAT ARE BOTH PERSONALLY FULFILLING AND ALSO POSITIVELY IMPACTS OTHERS . G RADES ARE IMPORTANT, TRUST ME , BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT IS THE STUFF THAT WE DO FOR OTHERS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY COMPRISE OUR LEGACIES .”
— H ALLIE PARTEN
Valedictorian
“D O YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU RODE A BICYCLE ? W ELL , I STARTED OFF RIDING A BIKE WITH TRAINING WHEELS , I LIKE TO THINK PALMER IS LIKE THAT BICYCLE , THEY GAVE US THE TOOLS WE NEED IN ORDER TO SUCCEED AND NOW IT IS TIME TO TAKE OFF THE TRAINING WHEELS AND RIDE ON OUR OWN W E MIGHT HIT A FEW SPEED BUMPS NOW AND THEN , MAYBE GET A FLAT TIRE , AND EVEN FALL OFF BUT I AM TRULY CONFIDENT THAT ALL OF US ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGING A FLAT TIRE , GETTING BACK UP AND PEDDLING FORWARD.”
— F ABIANA V IVAC q UA Senior r eflection Speaker
“I’ M AFRAID, AND YOU ’ RE AFRAID, AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MOMENTS WHEN WE WILL BE AFRAID W HAT WE SHOULD DO IS REMEMBER HOW WE OVERCAME OUR FEARS AS STUDENTS HERE AT PALMER T RINITY, AND TAKE THOSE LESSONS TO CON q UER THE FEARS THAT MAY CHALLENGE US AS ADULTS . L ET US LIVE OUR LIVES FULLY AND WITHOUT FEAR .”
— PAULINA C ALDERON Salutatorian
COLLeGe MATRiCuLATiON AND ACCePTANCeS — Classes
of 2012–2014
—
Aberystwyth University - UK
Agnes Scott College*
Alfred College*
Allegheny College
American Conservatory of Arts
American University of Paris - FR
American University of Rome - IT*
American University* (4)
Amherst College*
Arizona State University*
Auburn University*
Babson College*
Bard College*
Barnard College*
Bates College*
Baylor University
Belmont Abbey College*
Belmont College*
Bentley University* (4)
Berklee College of Music*
Birmingham-Southern College
Boston College* (5)
Boston University* (7)
Bowdoin College*
Brandeis University
Bryant University
Bucknell University*
Butler University*
California Polytechnic State University
Case Western Reserve University*
Chapman University*
Clemson University*
Coastal Carolina University*
Colby College*
Colgate University* (2)
College of Charleston* (2)
College of the Holy Cross
College of William & Mary
Colorado State University*
Columbia College* (2)
Columbia University* (2)
Connecticut College*
Cornell University* (4)
Dartmouth College* (5)
Davidson College
Dean College*
DePaul University
Dickinson College*
Dominican University of California
Drexel University* (3)
Duke University*
Eckerd College*
Elon University*
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
Emerson College* (2)
Emmanuel College*
Emory University*
Eugene Lang University*
Farleigh Dickinson University
Fashion Institute of Technology*
Flagler College*
Florida Atlantic University*
Florida Gulf Coast University* (3)
Florida International University* (20)
Florida Southern College
Florida State University* (14)
Fordham University*
Franklin and Marshall College*
Freie Universitat Berlin - GER
Full Sail University
Furman University*
FVG University - BR
George Mason University*
Georgetown University* (5)
Georgia Institute of Technology* (2)
Gettysburg College
Goucher College*
Guilford College
Hamilton College - NY
Hampton University
Hartwick College
Hartwick University*
Harvard University* (3)
Hendrix College
Heriot-Watt University
High Point University* (2)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges*
Hofstra University*
Howard University*
Hult International
Business School - Uk* (2)
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Wesleyan University
Imperial College - UK
Indiana University at Bloomington* (4)
Instituto Tecnológico Autonómo
De México - Mx
Ithaca College*
James Madison University
John Hopkins University*
Johnson and Wales University
Juniata College
Kenyon College
King’s College London - UK*
Lafayette College
Lake Forest College*
Lawrence University
Le Cordon Bleu College
Lehigh University
Lesley College*
LIM College* (2)
Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts - UK
Louisiana State University* (3)
Loyola University Chicago (2)
Loyola University Maryland* (2)
Loyola University New Orleans* (4)
Lynchburg College*
Lynn University* (2)
Macalester College
Manhattan College
Marist College*
Marquette University*
Marymount Manhattan College* (2)
McGill University - CA*
Mercer University
Merrimack College*
Miami-Dade Honors College
Michigan State University*
Montana State University
Morehouse College
New College of Florida* (2)
New World School of the Arts
New York University* (13)
North Dakota State University
Northeastern University* (2)
Northwestern University
Northwood University
Nova Southeastern University
Oberlin College*
Oglethorpe University
Ohio University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Oxford Brooks College - UK
Oxford College of Emory University*
Pace University, New York City*
Palm Beach State College
Parsons The New School for Design*
Pennsylvania State University, University Park
Pepperdine University
Point Park University
Pratt Institute*
Princeton University
Providence College*
Purchase College
Purdue University*
queen Margaret College - UK
quinnipiac University*
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design*
Rice University*
Richmond, The American International University in London*
Ringling College of Art and Design*
Rochester Institute of Technology*
Roger Williams University
Rollins College*
Roosevelt University*
Ryerson University - CA
Saint Joseph’s University
Saint Louis University*
Saint Mary’s College of California*
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Clara University*
Sarah Lawrence College*
Savannah College of Art and Design* (4)
School of the Art Institute of Chicago*
School of Visual Arts
Skidmore College*
Smith College*
Southern Methodist University* (3)
Spelman College*
St. John’s University*
St. Olaf College* (2)
Stetson College*
Stonehill College*
Suffolk University*
Syracuse University*
Temple University
Texas A&M University*
Texas Christian University* (5)
The Catholic University of America* (2)
The Evergreen State University
The George Washington University* (14)
The Julliard School
The Ohio State University*
The University of Alabama* (5)
The University of Arizona*
The University of North Carolina at Asheville*
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill*
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington*
Trinity College Dublin - IR*
Trinity University
Tufts University*
Tulane University* (3)
United States Military Academy
United States Naval Academy* (2)
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid - ES
Universidad de Los Andes - CO
Universidad Iberoamericana - Mx
Universidad Simón Bolívar – Mx
University at Albany,
State University of New York
University College Dublin - IE
University of Aberdeen - UK
University of Arizona*
University of Birmingham - UK
University of British Colombia - CA*
University of California at Berkeley*
University of California at Davis*
University of California at Irvine*
University of California at Los Angeles
University of California at San Diego*
University of California at Santa Barbara*
University of Central Florida* (3)
University of Chicago* (2)
University of Cincinnati Conservatory*
University of Colorado at Boulder* (2)
University of Connecticut*
University of Delaware*
University of Edinburgh - UK*
University of Florida* (12)
University of Georgia*
University of Glasgow - Uk*
University of Hartford*
University of Illinois*
University of Kansas*
University of Kentucky*
University of Limerick - IE
University of Manchester - UK
University of Maryland, Baltimore County*
University of Maryland, College Park*
University of Massachusetts, Amherst* (3)
University of Massachusetts, Boston*
University of Miami* (24)
University of Michigan* (2)
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi*
University of Missouri*
University of New Hampshire*
University of New Mexico*
University of North Florida*
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania*
University of Rhode Island*
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Diego*
University of San Francisco*
University of South Alabama*
University of South Carolina*
University of South Florida*
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews - Uk*
University of Sydney - AU
University of Tampa*
University of the Pacific
University of Toronto - CA
University of Vermont*
University of Virginia* (2)
University of Washington*
University of West Florida
University of Wisconsin*
University of Wyoming
Ursinus College
Vanderbilt University*
Villanova University* (2)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University*
Warner University
Washington & Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis*
Wellesley College* (3)
Wenworth Institute of Technology
Wheaton College*
Whittier College*
Williams College*
xavier University
New Beginnings: And a Soft Landing
Written by Su ZA nn E Gott L i EB C ALLEJA , Director of Strategic Communications and Community Relations
There is something to be said for “new beginnings.” Inspired by the dream of a better tomorrow, transitions like these are equal parts excitement, hope and fear of the unknown. Critical to their success is the team of dreamers behind them who make them possible. At Palmer Trinity School, one such individual is Alejandro Rodriguez: Palmer Trinity School parent, Board member, Development Committee Co-Chair, and to all of us, a born leader.
On a hot day in July, I met Alejandro in his office in Key Biscayne. As he usually does, he gave me a big hug and made me feel very welcome. Susi Cetta, one of the main people who made Palmer Trinity School “a soft landing” for Alejandro’s family, met us to help translate if necessary. I learned many beautiful Spanish sayings, such as: “Hay quienes en crisis lloran y otros venden panuelos. In a crisis there are people who cry and there are those who sell handkerchiefs. I am the one who sells handkerchiefs.” But more importantly it was reaffirmed that Alejandro is a man who lives life to the fullest and believes in luck, just as much as he believes in hard work.
“Hay quienes en crisis lloran y otros venden panuelos.”
“In
a crisis there are people who cry and there are those who sell handkerchiefs.
I am the one who sells handkerchiefs.”
Born in Milan, Alejandro moved to Venezuela with his parents — his mother, Sonia, a judge for more than 30 years; and his father, Alejandro, Sr., a civil lawyer, a professor and a Venezuelan Senator for more than two decades. Inspired by their success, Alejandro and his two siblings, Rodrigo and Veronica, understood the importance of education from a very young age. Graduating from the University of Santa Maria, Alejandro took his first job with the stock market at the age of 22, in Venezuela. Today, he lives and works in Miami, where he is an investor responsible for building residential homes and new construction in his native country. He lives in Key Biscayne with his wife of 16 years, Grehyni, and their three sons, Alejandro Alvarez ‘14, Alejandro Antonio ‘17, and Alejandro Andres who is nine-years-old.
The subjects of kidnapping plots and an altogether unsafe living experience in Venezuela, Alejandro and Grehyni first decided to move to the United States in 2010, quitting their jobs and fleeing Venezuela for their own safety and that of their two boys. Considering themselves lucky to have survived, Alejandro came out of that experience with an unparalleled amount of gratitude and optimism. “El la vida vivir con demasiado pasado crea depresión, si vives pendiente siempre del futuro te crea ansiedad, vive el hoy porque es un regalo, será por eso que le llaman presente. I try not to live in the past because it is gone, and I don’t live in the future because there is too much anxiety in worrying,” Alejandro says. “It is better to live in the present.”
“The great thing about life is, no matter who you are, you deserve a new start; communities, people, and even countries deserve a new chance to reinvent themselves. At PTS, we have spent a lot of time fighting to have a new beginning through a new campus, a new economy and new leadership.”
In line with this gratitude and optimism, Alejandro also developed a desire to give back to his community and help others. First visiting Palmer Trinity School in 2010 soon after they moved, Alejandro instantly knew it was where his boys needed to be. “When you have so many bad things happening in your country and you come to a place like Palmer Trinity, it feels so great that you are welcomed with open arms,” Alejandro said. “To feel like part of this country, you need to have a home, you need to have a school, and you need to have a community. At Palmer Trinity, we found all three.”
Enrolling his oldest son at PTS that same year, Alejandro immediately began looking for ways he could get involved in the school. “I have always believed that the time you give, you will always get back,” Alejandro says. “Those who give with happiness get happiness as a reward. It fills you up when you give back to others.” Using this notion as his motivation, Alejandro remembers seeing the parent volunteer list at Palmer Trinity School and searching for something that spoke to him. “I wanted to help with the faculty lunches,” Rodriguez said. “I was one of the few dads
“To feel like part of this country, you need to have a home, you need to have a school, and you need to have a community. At Palmer Trinity, we found all three.”
there, but I wanted to personally thank each of them for teaching my children.”
Today, both Alejandro and Grehyni are integral members of the Palmer Trinity School community. When he isn’t working, spending time with his family, traveling or playing golf, Alejandro fulfills his responsibility as a PTS Board of Trustees member or helps the Development Office bring in donations to help contribute to the betterment of the school. Alejandro lives by his philosophy, “Parte de una buena vida es tener una buena actitud. If you have good attitude, then you have a good life.” Always striving to add new families to the school community, he has introduced more than 30 families to Palmer Trinity School; 20 of those have already enrolled. Similarly, when she isn’t busy selling real estate or making her own line of jewelry, Grehyni serves as an Annual Fund Ambassador and a member of the Teacher Appreciation
oPPosite PaGe Alejandro at dinner with his first boss, and his boss’ family in Venezuela. this PaGe (toP to BottoM) Alejandro with his father at a political meeting in 1975 in Venezuela; Alejandro and wife Grehyni; Alejandro with two of his sons on vacation.
Committee. Always putting the needs and wants of the school ahead of their own, both Alejandro and Grehyni have significantly impacted the volunteer community at PTS.
Just as Alejandro considers his involvement at PTS to be a great new chapter for him and his family, he recognizes Palmer Trinity’s “new beginning” as it embraces new staff, more students and further campus expansion over the course of this year. “The great thing about life is, no matter who you are, you deserve a new start; communities, people, and even countries deserve a new chance to reinvent themselves,” Alejandro says. “At PTS, we have spent a lot of time fighting to have a new beginning through a new campus, a new economy and new leadership.”
With our deep history reflecting the ability to survive a merger, over a dozen Heads of School, and even a devastating hurricane that left our beautiful campus in ruins, Palmer Trinity School has always faced new beginnings with a sense of courage, optimism, and excitement for what the future will bring. And with parents like Alejandro Rodriguez paving the way for a new chapter of excellence for all Palmer Trinity School students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends; together, we know our future will be brighter than ever.
Delicious food is served by volunteers in the cuba booth.
Joseph Sulkes ‘20 joins members of the PTS Drumline.
liang Wang ‘15 entertains visitors on the piano.
The International Festival celebrates Palmer Trinity School’s vibrant multicultural community and highlights an ongoing commitment to global sustainability and environmental initiatives.
On Saturday, March 15th, 2014, the 14th annual International Festival had its largest attendance in the history of the event. Visitors enjoyed savory food choices and worldwide handicrafts from more than 60 unique booths. Many of our community service organizations were also on display, giving students the opportunity to sign up for a variety of community service initiatives. For entertainment, guests enjoyed jazz, classical music, creative arts activities, and dance and theatrical performances on the main stage in
our school courtyard. The carnival rides were a big hit again this year as well as the 2nd annual Indoor World Cup Soccer Game! The main event of the day, our International Parade of Flags—featuring flags from more than 50 countries—was led by both Middle and Upper School students as it wound its way through the PTS courtyard.
We are proud to announce that this year’s event raised over $23,000, the highest amount in the history of International Festival. All money raised goes to support Palmer Trinity School’s multicultural and diversity initiatives, student community service clubs, as well as our longstanding relationship with the Colombian children’s organization Fundación Nutrinfantil.
Freshly made food choices at the Thailand booth.
Student volunteers at Israel booth.
Volunteers at the World cultures booth.
Volunteers get into the spirit at the Spain booth.
Winners of the Indoor World cup Soccer Tournament.
Students march through campus for the International Flag Parade.
children enjoy visiting the Face Painting booth. Parent volunteers at the Venezuela booth.
Boo K f A i R 23rd Annual
O N M ONDAY, A PRIL 14, 2014, Palmer Trinity School hosted its 23rd Annual Book Fair. Over 200 guests filled the PTS Gymnasium to enjoy a delicious brunch, view table decorations, participate in a raffle, and meet distinguished guest, author M. Evelina Galang.
M. Evelina Galang was named one of the 100 most influential Filipinas in the United States. She is currently director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Miami and is also on the faculty of Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation, VONA/Voices, whose mission is
to develop emerging writers of color through programs and workshops taught by established writers. Ms. Galang’s young adult novel, Angel de la Luna and the 5th Glorious Mystery, was recently published to rave reviews.
After Ms. Galang’s reading, Books & Books
Owner Mitchell Kaplan surprised Librarian Ruthanne Vogel with a special tribute to her 9 years of dedicated service at Palmer Trinity School. In addition, Kaplan donated $1,000 of Books & Books credit in Ruthanne’s name to enhance the Palmer Trinity School Matheson Library book collection.
This year, the event helped raise over $10,000. Money raised at the Book Fair supports Palmer Trinity Matheson Library with funding for books, library automation software, furniture, shelving, and special projects. In the past three years, proceeds from the event greatly enhanced online research databases, which provide an invaluable resource for student research.
The immense success of the annual event this year could not have been achieved without the help of our PTS parents, staff, Books & Books, and our 2014 Book Fair Co-Chairs: Kitty Koch Espinosa, Diane Lary, and Amy de la Cruz Munoz.
Dylan’s Candy Bar, Unwrap Your Sweet Life Table hosted by beth Serrate.
m. evelina galang reads a chapter from her new book.
Visitors enjoy browsing a wide selection of book choices thanks to books & books.
Into The Wild Table hosted by Jan morrison and cecilia de anda Scullin.
amy de la cruz-munoz, Diane lary, kitty koch-espinosa, mitchell kaplan, ruthanne Vogel, and Jeff Vogel.
mitchell kaplan and m. evelina galang.
Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast 3rd AnnuAl
O N W EDNESDAY, M AY 22, 2014, PALMER Trinity School hosted its 3rd Annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. Set in the Main Dining Room, this event honored volunteers from the entire school community—including our PTS Board of Trustees, PTPA and Booster organizations, Special Events committees, Alumni Association leaders, Annual Fund Ambassadors and more—who helped make the 2013-2014 academic year a success. With a delicious breakfast prepared by SAGE Dining, guests had the opportunity to relax, enjoy performances by PTS student pianists Osmel Alvarez ‘16 and Isabela Cannon ‘18, view a year-in-review slide show, and reflect on words of sincere gratitude from Board of Trustees Chair, Michael Baiamonte and the Development office. Director of Advancement, Susi Cetta concluded the event with a token of the school’s appreciation for the PTPA and Booster Executives.
On behalf of Palmer Trinity School, we would like to thank our volunteers for all they have done this year, and continue to do for the PTS community.
A VOLUNTEER is a person who remembers to do the thing to make other people happy, who takes the loneliness out of the alone by talking to them, who is concerned when others are unconcerned, who has the courage to be a prophet and to say the things that have to be said for the good of all.
— AUTHOR U NKNOWN
marcia Pirani, Josette lahoud, PTS Parent, and mercy acosta garcia.
Susi cetta, le-ann Soto, and riva Steinman.
michael baiamonte, Suzanne calleja, and Tom reid.
osmel alvarez ‘16 and Isabella cannon ‘18.
Happy Forristal, Susan Fusfield, laurie Hill, cherine mneimneh, Heidi nosich, and ann elson.
marie barreto and Janet nesbitt.
CELEBRAT ING THE INSTALLATION
OF PATRIC k H.F. ROBERTS
F RIDAY, S EPTEMBER 19 TH , WAS AN IMPORTANT day in Palmer Trinity School’s history as students, faculty, and staff banded together to install new Head of School Patrick Roberts. The ceremony of installation is an ancient one that recognizes an institution’s respect for the profound responsibility of school leadership. Nothing is more important to the progress of a learning institution than a leader who ensures that faculty and administration work together to confirm that their students are responsible, educated citizens of the world. The service began with music students playing a trumpet fanfare, followed by a group of bagpipe players. The procession of the bagpipes is a Scottish tradition, which recognizes the ancestry of Mr. Roberts.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Michael Baiamonte, welcomed all to the event followed by a students leading the Pledge of Allegiance, Honor Code, and School Prayer. Students participating in the service were professional and respectful in their presentations. With our mission and vision in mind, Patrick Roberts was ceremonially brought in front of the entire school community and asked by The Right Reverend Calvin O. Schofield, retired Bishop of South East Florida, if he was willing to take on the responsibility of leading Palmer Trinity. The school community was also asked if they would support Mr. Roberts as Head of School. Both commitments were serious and meaningful moments for Palmer Trinity and its constituencies.
After the commitment ceremony was completed, all who were present joined together to pray for the school community. Then, Mr. Roberts’ mentor, Mr. Harvey B. Sperling, a long-time Head of School in Milwaukee and Nashville and Educational Consultant at Vanderbilt University, provided words of wisdom to all in attendance.
Next, Psalm 23 was chanted in Hebrew by Rabbi Mark Kula, followed by a Gospel reading in English and Spanish, recited by two Trustees, The Reverend Frank Corbishley and The Reverend Jennie Lou Reid. At the conclusion of the sacred readings, the community shared the Peace.
Following the communal exchange of greeting, Bishop Schofield led the community in a service of Holy Communion. This part of the service reflected the power of gathering the community for a sacred ritual. This was a voluntary event, but everyone was encouraged to come forward and greet each other.
At the conclusion of Holy Communion, the Prayer of St. Francis for peace was shared. Finally, the Bishop blessed the community and the School Chaplain dismissed all in attendance. The Episcopal tradition is meaningful and inclusive, and the service included many different interfaith prayers. We now begin, with pride and enthusiasm, the next chapter in our School’s history.
Class Notes strengthen the connection of our Alumni community to their classmates and their alma mater.
Lauren Dowlen, Director of Alumni Relations (305) 969 4282 | ldowlen@palmertrinity.org
Class Agents
as of 9/1/14
1973 DaVID Woo D mdavidwood@comcast.net
1974 J U l I e (c oleman) m an SFI el D juliemansfield@comcast.net
1975 cla SS agen T nee D e D
1976 a n Dy He SS en hesstang@aol.com
1977 c ra I g Z I mme TT cazfla@aol.com
1978 Tom m agen H e I mer tmagmai@aol.com
1979 l or I (Fogel) l a Forg I a ljlaforgia@gmail.com
1980 DaW n (Hoy T ) kIDD dhoytkidd@gmail.com
1981 l ee S T erl I ng psports@bellsouth.net
1982 Tracy (Tabor) S H eloWITZ tracy@martintabor.com
1983 m ary (Joyce) W I lb U rn marywilburn@bellsouth.net
1984 Pe T er cUTT er guycutter@aol.com
1985 Dale b enne TT RB9999@aol.com
Jo H n m alloy jcmalloy@malloylaw.com
1986 Joelle (Wag SHU l) S T e I nberg jwagshul@aol.com
1987 cla SS agen T nee D e D
1988 e lena ( eSS en) e n Dara partyuv5@bellsouth.net
1989 Sco TT S H el F er scott@exactaland.com
AlumNews is the first section Alumni turn to when they receive the Aerie Magazine, so this section is full of exciting and updated information. To send us news for our next issue, please log on to www.PalmerTrinity.org and click ‘Alumni.’
Keep the updates coming!
1990 Pe T er b aU mberger psb@rbrlaw.com
a l D en (D U n Wo Dy) P I men T el Pimentel@bellsouth.net
1991 Derek F ISH er derekfisher7@gmail.com
1992 Joy ( b erg) Jo H n S on jeremyandjoy@yahoo.com
1993 a man Da m aTalon amatalon@arnoldoil.com
1994 cH arle S b aU mberger catcay@yahoo.com
c am P bell Walker cwalker@lincolnharris.com
1995 k a IT l I n b la Z e Jack kkblaze@gmail.com
1996 lynley (Walker) cI orobea lynley3@yahoo.com
1997 b re TT Frenc H brettfrench@yahoo.com
1998 b r I an g er SH en briangershen@gmail.com
n aTH an Ze D er nz1305@aol.com
1999 b el I n Da Fr I er I belifrieri@yahoo.com
2000 Soo ZI e k lock seklock@gmail.com
2001 We S Farrell wf159@aol.com
2002 aD r I a Jenk I n S mz.adria@gmail.com
2003 Dax Te J era dax.tejera@gmail.com
l aU ra aT eca laura.ateca@gmail.com
AlumNews class notes
Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ptsfanpage and “like” our page!
2004 c or I na lo P e Z celopez721@gmail.com
2005 k aT ey o ’ r egan katey613@yahoo.com
2006 b ran D on m c n ary bmcnary@nigcapital.com
eD lU ckmann luckmann.e@neu.edu
a man Da o mac H on U amandaom22@gmail.com
2007 W I ll m orr IS on willmorrison07@yahoo.com
2008 a r I el m oger aemoger@gmail.com
m egan cU nn I ng H am megancunningham215@gmail.com
2009 Je SSI ca m a Z on jessica.mazon@gmail.com
m arcel c on T rera S marcelc28@aol.com
n aTal I a m aTallana natismata@hotmail.com
2010 V I c T or I a Fernan D e Z vifer18@gmail.com
2011 a lexa c a JI ga acajiga93@me.com
k aTI e D I Fe D e 91difede@cardinalmail.cua.edu
2012 bI raa J m a H a Jan bmahajan@bu.edu
2013 Pre ST on mI c H el S on Michelsonpr@gmail.com
2014 cla SS agen T nee D e D
1986
Rachel Sue Glorioso Dooley ran this summer for County Court Judge for Miami-Dade County (and of course her campaign colors were GREEN and GOLD). She is a former Assistant State Attorney and a trial attorney since 2001. Her endorsements included the League of Prosecutors, the United Faculty of Miami Dade College, the South Florida Council of Fire Fighters and SAVE Action. She had the high-
est average qualified poll rating by more than 30% over her opponents, as voted by the attorneys of MiamiDade County.
Edna (Sturge) Furst and her husband, James Furst, welcomed twins into their family on July 13, 2014. Edna gave birth to a boy and a girl, Kathleen and Jackson. They reside in Palmetto Bay.
1988
Leslie (Traba) k ing was recently hired as the Director of Communications at Durham Academy in Durham, North Carolina.
1994
Tammy k ing is coaching Cross Country and Track & Field at Palmer Trinity this year and substituting in the Physical Education department.
1995
Dan Luchsbacher has been living in Schongau, Germany since he left Palmer Trinity. He has been married since 2006 and he has two children, Marina (8 years) and David (4 years). Dan is working for the Bavarian government as a surveying engineer. His favorite hobby is still playing basketball. He has been playing for a local team called “TSV Peiting” since 1995. Dan started working with Oktoberfest in Munich in 2000. — This year is going to be his 15th Oktoberfest in a row and he still loves it!
1996
Randy Becker currently lives in Orlando, Florida, and is working as a designer and programmer for IBM’s software group. His team’s focus is on enhancing user experience for online- and instructor-led training for corporations and hospitals. He married his husband Ramzi in August, 2013, and he says life could not be better for him and his family.
Noelle Brown recently married Armando Magallanes in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Stacie (Larco) Cooper writes, “I’m married with three children, ages seven, five, and one! I’m a PA in ER medicine! I live in Palm Springs, California and travel tons! Very blessed and healthy! Used to run; now I love spinning classes since knee surgery. My husband is an ER physician. My parents still in Miami so we visit often.”
Camilla (Carvalho) Macchiarolli moved back to Florida after living in Brazil. She lives in Orlando with her husband, Alessandro, and two kids, Enzo (age eight) and Bruno (age six).
Blanca Navas-Diaz currently holds the position of Director of Affiliate
eDNA (S T u RG e) Fu RST ‘ 86
eDNA (S T u RG e) Fu RST ‘ 86
Relations at Entravision Communications, which owns and operates one of the largest groups of Spanishlanguage television and radio stations in the United States. On the personal side, she and her husband Juan Manuel Diaz are raising three beautiful children. Their sons, Juan Carlos (twelve) and Felipe (three), play soccer, and their daughter Sofia (nine) is a ballet dancer.
1997
Christina (Rosas-Guyon) Hart has been with Portfolio Media, publishers of Law360, for almost nine years. As the Director of Client Relations, her role requires her to renew their largest law firm clients at aboveindustry rate increases. She was a pivotal player in their recent acquisition from publishing megalith LexisNexis and has enjoyed going from being the second hire in their startup days to watching the business grow into a major player in the legal publishing field. In addition, Christina still sings regularly in cabaret clubs in NYC with husband and pianist, Jason. Christina has a 12-year-
old step-daughter, Olivia and a 22-month-old daughter, Beatrice. Leticia (Bertonha) Prata founded her own law firm in 2006, Furlanetto Bertogna Sociedade de Advogados, located in São Paulo, Brazil. The firm specializes in environmental, real estate, and agricultural law. Leticia and her husband have two sons, Rafael and Mateus. She still vacations in Miami and says that her kids love it!
1998
Mary (Castellano) Garth writes, “I am no longer working in fashion PR after 10 years. Now I’m a full time mommy to Tanny Elizabeth (age two) & MaryBurr (age one). I’m hoping to go back to work part time but these girls are keeping me busy for now. We are still living in New York City and absolutely love it. We miss Miami but this has been our home for the last 10 years. J.B. Garth ‘97 is working at Credit Suisse, as a High Yield/Distressed Trader.”
Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda recently visited PTS with her family. She is an
Assistant Professor at the University of Miami in the School of Nursing. She and her husband Luis have three boys.
Daniel Diaz Leyva is the Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives for District 112 which includes Key Biscayne, Brickell, Little Havana, the Roads, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. This summer, he was recognized by the Republican State Leadership Committee and their Future Majority Project as one the 14 Races to Watch in ‘14. The RSLC is one of the most prominent Super PACs in DC helping minority candidates run for State legislatures.
Jayne Truckenbrod graduated from her Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and returned to Austin, Texas, to join her family (and enjoy the live music, food, art, and city in general!). She is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern in Austin and the Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship at Dell Children’s Medical Center.
2000
Matthew Forster writes, “Currently I am the Practice Administrator/Head of Human Resources at a large, multi-office medical practice in Winchester, Va. Additionally, I am a staff writer for an arts and culture publication.”
Jason Hingerton has now been married seven years to his wife, Jaimee, and they have two dogs and three cats. Living in East Atlanta since 2009, his hobbies include obstacle course racing, golf, gardening, hunt(continues on page 48)
20 year reunion
Class of 1994
R OSA G ON
ALuMNi eVeNTS
O CTOBER 24
Alumni Association Board
Meeting & Kick-Off
Homecoming BBq & Game
O CTOBER 25
Alumni Soccer Game
D ECEMBER 5
Alumni College & Career Day
D ECEMBER 10
Alumni Holiday Party
J ANUARY 9
Collegiate Town Hall with Class of 2015
J ANUARY 26
Sandy Golf & Tennis Tournament
M ARCH 7
International Festival
A PRIL 17
Board of Trustee Luncheon for Class of 2015
M AY 29-30
Alumni Weekend
M AY 29
Alumni Association Annual Meeting
All Alumni Reception and Distinguished Alumni Awards
M AY 30
Athletic Hall of Fame
Induction & Luncheon
Alumni Sports and Family Day
Lacrosse, Basketball and Softball games Class Reunions
Romain Lang-Willar
after moving from his hometown of Geneva to Miami in 2006, Romain lang-willar ‘08 had to adjust to living in a new country. “it was really interesting for me since i had to learn about a whole different culture and a different style of education,” lang-willar said. “i take it as a great experience.”
Today, romain is responsible for increasing the presence of Tesla motors in Switzerland.
Some of his favorite memories of Palmer Trinity include playing junior varsity and varsity soccer. “I wasn’t that good,” he said. “But it was a great time.” Lang-Willar also noticed the diversity of the School. He liked that it was easy to integrate as an international student and that the community was very welcoming. He also appreciated the balance between structure and freedom that allowed room for students to grow.
As someone who has moved between countries in his life, Lang-Willar said that it is a growing experience. “I think new beginnings are great and they are very enlightening,” he said.
After graduating, he co-founded Stéphane’s Brasserie, a 287-seat fine dining restaurant in Boca Raton, with his father. “Taking something from a basic idea to a full-grown business that is able to serve 1,000 customers a day, it was really a long process, very tedious, but it was very gratifying, a great experience.”
He said that the most gratifying part of starting the restaurant was hiring the staff. “We formed a really good team of individuals. Very, very talented people,” Lang-Willar said. “And then it goes from the top-down. You hire more and more people and you have to train them the right way: what to say, how to dress, how
It was at this point that Lang-Willar got in contact with Tesla Motors. He saw that there was only one person developing the brand and selling the product in the French part of Switzerland. “I really believe in Tesla’s mission of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable methods of transportation.”
So Lang-Willar was hired, increasing the presence of Tesla in Switzerland. Even though the task was sales, the company was looking for people with a background in entrepreneurship because of their autonomy and self-sufficiency.
“The best piece of advice for someone interested
“...never let failure stop you...You have to see the opportunity in that situation. that is the difference between a pessimist and an optimist.”
“It really broadens your perspectives and your views on life and it gives you a whole new world of possibilities. That broadening of perspectives is something that I am going to look for throughout my life.”
Since 2013, Lang-Willar has been back in his homeland of Switzerland. This year, he started work at Tesla Motors, a publicly traded company that produces luxury electric cars, in Geneva. “I wanted to find a company that was going to grow and where I could have a career that could teach me what a big corporation looks like, and how you grow within that structure.”
He used LinkedIn to find the connections that he had with Tesla employees. “The most important thing was being in the right place at the right time,” he said. “But in order to do that you have to put yourself out there. You have to look for opportunities.”
Lang-Willar graduated from the University of Miami in 2012 with a B.B.A. and a major in Entrepreneurship. “They build the course by giving you a little bit of education in marketing, a little bit in finance, a little bit in communication and all that,” he said. “What I appreciated was that they gave you the opportunity to meet a lot of entrepreneurs who were successful.”
to present. You have to tell them all about your business, your values, your vision.”
Despite his continued efforts working with the restaurant, Stéphane’s Brasserie closed in June 2013. So he found a new job and flew back to his native Switzerland. “The task was to become the director of a small and damaged industrial cleaning company that was on the verge of collapsing,” he said. “There were only about 10 or so clients and about a dozen employees, with a lot of conflicts in between the employees and a lot of debt to repay.”
If no actions were taken, Arco Maintenance Conseils would go bankrupt by the end of 2013.
Lang-Willar managed to stabilize the company by finding new clients, generating more revenue, and paying the outstanding debt. He also had to make changes with the existing staff. “So actually, it was stable, even generating a bit of revenue, if the company didn’t have to pay my salary, so I left it to my step-father.”
in entrepreneurship is to never let failure stop you,” Lang-Willar said. “If there is something that looks difficult, don’t look at how difficult it is. You have to see the opportunity in that situation. That is the difference between a pessimist and an optimist.”
romain volunteers with other Palmer Trinity School students to help build a home for Habitat for Humanity.
ing, and fishing. Professionally, he has been an employee of Panasonic Automotive for eight years where he is a Project Lead in Advanced Engineering. The company develops next-generation technologies for automotive infotainment systems. He recently met Joey Santilli ‘10 when he was a co-op in their office!
Layda Morales is the Assistant Principal at Somerset Academy South Homestead Charter School, which serves 500 students from kindergarten to fifth grade. Layda and her husband, Chris Cosio, have one son, Christopher (age 2). Layda says Christopher is definitely a future Falcon in the making!
2001
k ristin (Hayden) Hebert and her husband Marty recently welcomed their son, Preston Johnathan Hebert.
Tatiana Suarez has been working as a full-time artist for the last seven years. After living in New York for nearly five years, she and her husband are back in Miami. In July, she painted alongside some amazing
artists in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Last year, she collaborated with graffiti legend Stash as well as Reebok on a City Classic sneaker representing Miami. She has also recently been commissioned to paint a mural at the historic Miami Marine Stadium along with 20 other artists. Prints will be released and sold to help restore the iconic structure.
2002
Randy Alonso writes, “I am here in Downtown Miami working with my brother Brian Alonso ‘97 running
our family’s department store, La Epoca. Both Brian and I have been working at La Epoca for almost the past nine years now. We are finally expanding the business this year to include a new store on Flagler Street that is a denim-inspired concept store called Lost Boy Dry Goods. Following our father Tony Alonso’s steps, we both have been very involved in the redevelopment of Downtown Miami through civic groups and by expanding our businesses throughout downtown.”
Jeremy Burns writes, “After one superstorm and five long (miserable) years of grad school, I will finally be joining the real world. I have accepted an amazing research position at Biogen-Idec and will be moving to Boston in mid-June. I’m elated at this opportunity to move on with my life and to continue growing as a person and as a scientist.”
Adria Jenkins graduated from Florida International University with her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. She will be teaching Second Grade at a private school in West Kendall.
Angela Guzman is a user experience designer at Google[x], Google’s Special Projects division. She was previously at Apple, where she worked on iPhone, iPad, and OS x native apps for nearly five years. At Google, she collaborates with designers and engineers to tackle “moonshot” ideas. Angela is incredibly thankful for the early art exposure she found at Palmer Trinity as it deeply influenced her career path.
Yuri Tuma is a working artist in Miami. He has had five solo exhibitions with Butter Gallery (20082013) and has participated in group shows and art fairs in New York and Shanghai. Tuma’s main practice is (continues on page 52)
15 year reunion
Class of 1999
Alumni College and Career Day
O N A PRIL 30, 2014, PALMER T RINITY S CHOOL was proud to host its sixth annual Alumni College and Career Day. This year, the Class of 2015 met with eight returning Alumni who talked about their careers in areas such as education, environmental landscaping and management, health and wellness, software engineering, film production, construction management, and law. They also shared their impressions of college and life after college and reflected on fond memories of Palmer Trinity School. Alumni visitors were divided into four classrooms where they hosted round-table discussions with different groups of juniors. After their presentations, the Alumni gathered in the Private Dining Room (PDR) to catch up with a few of their favorite Palmer Trinity School teachers.
sP ecial thanks to the followin G a lu M ni who Pa Rtici Pated in the event:
Adam Kutell ‘85
Brian Gershen ‘98
Jon Lawrence ‘98
Layda Morales ‘00
Sarah Ferguson-Brown ‘03
Ian Wogan ‘04
Estefania Romero ‘07
Michael Andreu ‘13
clockwise fRoM toP Clint Jones and Jon Lawrence ‘98; Adam Kutell ‘85, Michael Andreu ‘13, Brian Gershen ‘98, Ian Wogan ‘04, John Lawrence ‘98, Estefania Romero ‘07, Sarah FergusonBrown ‘03, and Layda Morales ‘00; Judi Jennings and Brian Gershen ‘98; Sarah Ferguson-Brown ‘03 and Layda Morales ‘00.
James Robertson
Shortly after James Robertson graduated from Palmer School in 1983, he read a piece in Newsweek about a strange affliction affecting gay men.
“I read it because — even though I might not have been out at the time — I certainly knew that I was gay,” he said. “It certainly had some relevance to me.”
So Robertson decided it was a disease that he was going to fight. In 1993, he moved to San Francisco during the worst years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States. After earning his M.B.A. from the
Yale School of Management, he moved to New York and then started working internationally.
Today, he is the executive director of the India H.I.V./AIDS Alliance, based in New Delhi. When asked about his involvement with the disease, he rejects any sort of altruistic notion. “I’m not working with AIDS because I thought that I wanted to do something good.
James robertson is the executive Director of India HIV/aIDS alliance.
I’m actually doing it because it really infuriates me. It infuriates me that for a disease that is so eminently controllable, we have failed to control it,” he says.
Robertson is proud of the global response that has helped to curb the spread of H.I.V./ AIDS, but, to him, there are still many flaws in the treatment. Half of new H.I.V. infections occur in four groups: gay men, transgender, sex workers, and people who inject drugs. But less than 10 percent of H.I.V. prevention money goes towards those groups. “People will say we have an evidence-based response to H.I.V. How can it be an evidence-based response? We know where half of new infections happen, and we’re not investing in prevention and those communities because nobody wants to. Like it or not, what government really cares about a sex worker and drug user?” he adds.
Domestically, Robertson notes that the increase in gay rights is in large part because of a social movement that included organizing in response to H.I.V. In particular, he remembers returning to Palmer Trinity in 2008 for his 25th-year reunion. “I walked by one of the classrooms, and it had a Safe Space sticker,” he said. “And I thought, ‘How cool is that?’ That’s progress.”
Robertson says that he has very fond memories of Palmer, visiting the School for the first time in 1975. “I think Palmer was a good place to be. It was a smaller school than it is today.” He remembered the modules of old and the only building in existence at the time — Shafer Hall.
“I was also quite saddened when I heard Mr. Yarbrough died,” he said. “There were a handful of teachers that were enormously impactful for me. He was definitely one of those.”
Robertson returns to Florida when he can to visit his mother in Vero Beach. His brother, Andrew ‘81, previously worked at the United States Institute of Peace, an institution that seeks to prevent deadly conflict abroad. His sister, Annabel ‘85, is the executive director of a non-profit that mostly does job training for people that need support.
But, for now, Robertson says that, even though he is very proud of the work he is doing, that he is tired, enormously tired. “I’m tired in some ways I never expected to be tired. I have seen some aspects of the human
spirit that have impressed me to death. And I have seen aspects of humanity that I hope I will never see again.”
During his tenure, the India H.I.V./AIDS Alliance has grown from being one of the organizations involved with AIDS funding to become arguably one of the leading non-profit organizations at the international level working with H.I.V./AIDS. When he started working there, they reached about 65,000 people. This year, they will probably reach one million.
“i think if you have the privilege of education, you have the responsibility to do something with it.”
“HIV prevention is about empowering people to make better choices in their lives, some more complicated than others.” For Robertson, that’s why there needs to be a response that leverages different perspectives and different strengths. “I think if you have the privilege of education, you have the responsibility to do something with it,” he believes. “But you don’t necessarily have to move to India to do something good with your life.”
James robertson and Pam kitrell were voted most likely to Succeed in their senior year at Palmer.
photography, but he has also collaborated in video, sculpture, fashion and installation art. Tuma transforms his photographs into formulaic patterns, creating optical art pieces unusual to the field of photography. Tuma now draws inspiration from the power of digital mobile art and from seeing how it affects social behavior and social change.
Rebecca Ray was recently nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award as Segment Producer for the entertainment news program Access Hollywood.
Bryan Wisotsky writes, “After graduating from American University with a business degree in 2006, I spent a few years working in marketing and advertising before discovering search engine optimization (SEO). This past January, I started a position at City Wonders, a guided tour operator in Europe and the U.S., as their SEO Manager. My fiancée, Julie, a sales consultant for a high-end stone company, and I purchased a home in Coral Gables last year and have been slowly renovating it. It has been both challenging and rewarding owning a home.”
2003
Gabriela Davit writes, “2014 has proven to be a big year in my life. I recently got married in April to my wonderful husband, Nicolas. We moved to South Miami where we are enjoying our new life in the ‘burbs. I also recently changed jobs after working for Y&R for over 6 years. Lots of great and wonderful changes. It’s been a fantastic year so far!”
Jennifer Lampert writes, “I’m currently living on Miami Beach with my two dogs and fiancé, who was born and raised in California, where we met when I was in college, and relocated here and couldn’t be happier. I graduated from San Diego State cum laude with honors and then went to Pepperdine for law school. After realizing I didn’t really enjoy practicing law, I set out to find a career I would truly enjoy. Fastforward about six months of searching, I find myself currently employed at Brown & Brown, Inc., as a commercial insurance producer. It took a while, but I really found something I love to do with the right company.”
Ragnar Gylfason graduated from Technical University of Denmark with a M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering in August 2011. Since then he has been working in Iceland for a company called Marorka that specializes in energy management for ocean vessels. He works as a consultant for China and Taiwan, where his role is to look at operational data and identify areas where fuel can be saved.
Sergio Mariscal is living in Mexico City and working as an entrepreneur and a journalist. He started an automotive website called Car-Globe and then began collaborating with El Universal, a Mexican newspaper. He then started an automotive magazine, Hotbook. He has traveled all over the world to cover auto shows, car launches, and presentations. His website Car-Globe is soon launching an online television show, with hopes of putting it on a television channel at some point. He married Estefanía Gomez on March 29th and he says he is experiencing one of the happiest times of his life!
Christian Rizk celebrated his threeyear work anniversary at Nespresso, managing the brand’s United States consumer and corporate public relations activities. He had the opportunity to travel around the country celebrating the launch of the new VertuoLine system. He has been living in New York City since he graduated from Emory University in 2007. In December, he will be receiving his Master’s Degree in Communications from New York University’s Steinhardt and Stern School of Business.
2004
Michael Contreras writes, “I finished my M.B.A. at the University of Miami in January. I have been working for Cisneros Group now for almost six years and going on my second year as a Financial Analyst for Cisneros Real Estate, a Real Estate Development company within the Cisneros Group. Our main focus is leveraging our property holdings to develop luxury hotel projects in the Americas and Caribbean. Our current and largest project is designing and constructing a Four Seasons Hotel and Resort in the Dominican Republic.”
k ate Howard married Kurt Tyler on May 31, 2014 in Taos, New Mexico. They met in graduate school at Georgia Tech in 2008 and have since been living in Houston. She currently works for Shell as a Structural Engineer where her group designs offshore floating platforms located in the Gulf of Mexico. In her spare time, she enjoys racing in triathlons and traveling.
Jason Saunders writes, “I went to the University of Pennsylvania, where I received a B.A. in History and African American Studies. I’m currently completing my doctoral studies in American and African Literature at the University of Virginia. I’m writing a dissertation on postwar urbanity and black masculinity which considers how and why a
cohort of black writers and performers have understood ‘gangsters’ as the freedom fighters of the postwar black ghetto. If everything goes well, I’d like to be a college professor by the 2017 school year. I want to give a warm thank you to all my supporters during my time at Palmer Trinity. If it wasn’t for Palmer Trinity’s generous support, there is no doubt I’d be in much darker straits right now.”
2005
Juliana Ferro is a third-year law student at the University of Virginia. She worked as a Summer Associate at Williams Parker in Sarasota this summer. Last summer, she worked as a fellow for the Food Law and Policy Division at the Harvard Law School Center for Health and Policy Innovation in Boston. There, she coauthored a highly-publicized a report on how to reduce food waste, which was covered by news outlets like the Wall Street Journal. Her hope is to practice law in Florida after graduating from law school next year.
Olee Fowler started her own communications firm called Olee Fowler Communications.
Joelle Goodwin-Marr writes, “I have been married for almost two years and have two dogs. I live in Orlando, Florida and have been working for Jeff Ellis Management/Ellis & Associates for three-and-a-half years. JEM/EA is an Aquatic Safety company with waterparks, resorts, and pools all over the country and the world. I also am an Instructor Trainer for Ellis & Associates — which means I am one of the few who not only trains lifeguards, but also trains and licenses new instructors. I think I have one of the most rewarding jobs because I train close to 1,800 people a year who save lives.”
Wes Hevia is a rising second-year law student at the University of Florida where he is involved with the Environmental and Land Use Law Society and Florida Law Review. He also plans on completing a Master of Science in Real Estate before graduating from law school. This summer, he is interning in Miami with both a state and a federal judge. Before entering law school, he worked in companies devoted to litigation, real estate, and clean energy. He hopes to work as an associate at a law firm that
(continues on page 54)
G ABY D AV i T ‘ 03
R AGNAR G YLFASON ‘ 03
K AT e hOWARD ‘ 04
Admission Advisory Committee
T HE A DMISSION A DVISORY C OMMITTEE MET FOR ITS annual spring meeting in May, where members heard from recent graduates, who shared their experiences as Seniors at Palmer Trinity School. Committee members help make connections between the school and prospective families in the greater community. Alumni and friends of our school listened to the accomplishments of Lea Aftimos (New York University), Leo Rocchicchioli (Sarah Lawrence College), Fabiana Vivaqua (Wellesley College), Daniel Gay-Betton (Vanderbilt University) and Renee Dobrinsky (Dartmouth College). The students shared stories about their involvement with community service, sustainability, independent studies and athletics at Palmer Trinity.
fRoM left to RiGht: Danny Reynolds and Brian Gershen ‘98; Monica Cervera-Sijan ‘96 and Holly (Lee) Zawyer ‘97; Adrian Foley ‘02, Ryan Jurney ‘04, and Wes Farrell ‘01.
specializes in one or several of those fields next summer.
Bobby Moore shares, “I’ll be teaching 6th and 7th grade science at Palmer Trinity, as well as working as a coordinator with Deering Estate. Sam (Evans) Moore ‘06 will be working as a pediatric OT come September (location unknown). We’re both thrilled to be back in Miami and part of the Palmer Trinity community that introduced us.
Brandon Rose shares, “I’m currently an attorney at Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod (“Bilzin Sumberg”). Specifically, I practice Commercial Litigation and I’ve worked at Bilzin for almost two years now.”
Lene Staertzel has worked for Audi for the past two years in different departments, but mainly in sales and marketing. She is currently in the corporate sales department where she plans and oversees fleet events such as the A3 Launch and the track day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Her next step with the company will be to switch to the Volkswagen side and learn how that brand does business. This position will bring her to the West Coast, which she says is a personal goal of hers.
2006
Ashley Forman graduated from Suffolk University Law School and is preparing to take the Bar Exam.
Andres Guzman received his M.B.A. from the University of Miami this past spring.
Brittney (Fyffe) Hernandez is in her fourth year of teaching and her third year at the Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, where she has a first grade class. She attended the Future of Education Conference at the Harvard School of Education in July. She says she has definitely found her home as an educator.
Edward Luckmann is living in London now and has been there for about three years. He finished his Masters of Architecture last year at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, and has been working at Zaha Hadid Architects for about a year. He says, that it is “overall pretty exciting work doing projects in the Middle East and China but the hours are outrageous!”
katy Lovell recently joined the JW Marriott Marquis Miami as the Guest Relations & Operations Manager.
Patricia Lehtinen and Michael Silva celebrated their wedding with close family, friends, and guests at St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Saturday, May 31st. Many PTS friends were present for the special day.
David Marbert is currently studying for his M.B.A. at the University of Miami and will graduate next year.
Amanda Omachonu is a Senior Research Coordinator at the Sylvester Cancer Center associated with the University of Miami Medical School downtown. She is working on her M.B.A. at the University of Miami and will graduate this December. With her degree, she hopes to work in Sports Marketing and eventually open her own fitness center.
k risten Selema is entering her third year of medical school at Nova Southeastern University.
2007
k it Faiella is working in Washington, D.C. as a junior project manager and account manager for The Advisory Board Company, a healthcare and higher education consulting firm. Since he started, he has been a part of a launch division within the firm, sourcing medical devices for hospitals. Thus far, the division has
saved their client hospitals tens of millions of dollars on these devices.
Nicole Fernandez is in her second year of medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in Sint Maarten. She is planning on moving back to Miami and preparing to take her first board exam, USMLE Step 1. She says she’s come a long way from her high school chemistry lab, but she will always remember where she discovered her love for science!
Brittney k albac writes, “I have started an M.D. program at Florida State University College of Medicine! I’m so excited to be here and working toward the goal to become a doctor to help people!”
JP Gilbert has news via his mother Paulette Gilbert, “As a very proud parent of an Alumnus, I wanted to share some great news on my son’s accomplishment. I also want to say, that Palmer Trinity School laid the foundation for his accomplishments. Thanks to all the teachers that were instrumental in mentoring and preparing him, especially Mr. Carl Rachelson. JP will graduate from Stetson University College of Law this Spring, (J.D. May, 2014).”
Delfina Guemes writes, “I moved to New York City three-and-a-half years ago after graduating from Boston University’s College of Communication. I’ve since been working in the travel and lifestyle section of a PR agency called Finn Partners. I am now a Senior Account Executive and represent accounts such as Riviera Nayarit in Mexico, Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism, Eventi – A Kimpton Hotel, Hyatt Times Square and New York State’s renowned “I Love New York.”
Sophie Laidler shares from Australia, “I am currently working full-time as a consultant at a company called Voice Project. Voice Project is an organizational psychology consultancy company that aims to improve organizations by giving people a voice. They offer distribution, analysis, and pre- and post-consulting for a variety of survey tools including employee engagement, Leadership 360, and customer service quality. This year whilst working with Voice Project, I will also be completing my second year toward a Masters in Organizational Psychology at Macquarie University.”
Elizabeth McNichol writes, “I just graduated from Harvard Law School in May and I’m spending the summer studying for the bar exam. I will start work in October at the law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy as a first year associate in their New York office. I will be joining the Global Securities practice group.”
Mi RAMAR
PATTY Leh T i N e N ‘ 06 AND Mi C h A e L Si LVA ‘ 06
Ki T FA ie LLA ‘ 07
JP Gi LB e RT ‘ 07
B OBBY M OOR e ‘ 05 AND S AM ( eVANS ) M OOR e ‘ 06
Alumni Awards and Cocktail Reception
MaY 30, 2014
O N F RIDAY, M AY 30, ALUMNI , FAMILY, AND faculty members joined together to kick off 2014 Alumni Reunion Weekend with the Alumni Awards and Cocktail Reception. Alumni had the opportunity to tour the beautiful Palmer Trinity campus and catch up with old friends and former teachers. The evening included the presentation of our Distinguished Alumni Awards to Thomas Magenheimer ‘78 (The Founders’ Alumni Award), presented by Gordon O’Neil ‘84 and Evans Dunwody Crews ‘91 (The Head of School’s Alumni Award), presented by Lynley (Walker) Ciorobea ‘96.
The Founders’ Alumni Award recognizes Alumni who have demonstrated honor, courage and leadership and helped to fulfill the vision of our school’s founders. The Head of School’s Alumni Award recognizes distinguished service to the community, which exemplifies Palmer Trinity School’s mission – commitment to the moral, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and creative growth of all members of our community.
Iraida robledo and past Head of School, laura Walker.
lisa (arnold) Franklin ‘74 and Julie (coleman) mansfield ‘74.
lynley (Walker) ciorobea ‘96, charles baumberger ‘94, Hadley (nichols) Foreman ‘93, and anne beaumont (nichols) niethardt ‘95.
evans (Dunwody) crews ‘91 and her two daughters.
corey Haith ‘12, elena De Villiers, and Daniel omachonu ‘12.
evans (Dunwody) crews ‘91 and her two daughters with lynley (Walker) ciorobea ‘96.
Justin Weatherspoon ‘09, James Weatherspoon ‘84, and Valerie Weatherspoon.
nick Stein ‘04 and guest.
lani kane-Hanan ‘84 and Suzanne kane ‘84.
andrew magenheimer, gordon o’neil ‘84, Tom magenheimer ‘78, and Debby magenheimer.
roy Weinfeld ‘84, alumni guest, luther Fitch ‘84, Suyain george ‘84, beth (brockway) Serrate ‘85, gordon o’neil ‘84, and James Weatherspoon ‘84.
Roberta Ehlers
“I fell in love with Palmer Trinity and knew it was the school for me,” she shares. Roberta’s family arrived from Brazil after her father was transferred to the United States when Roberta had finished 6th grade. She entered Palmer Trinity and the ESL (English as a Second Language) program in the middle of her 7th grade year. “I thought I knew some English, but ESL was a very helpful program to truly help me master the language, especially for my studies.” By high school Roberta had moved beyond the ESL courses, studying four years of French and several of Spanish in addition to her other mainstream classes in English. Nominated for a Silver Knight in Foreign Languages as a senior, her linguistic mastery was one step in her journey towards a career in global business.
“My experience at Palmer Trinity was great. It has such an international base of students. People from all over the world make it a great place to be,” Roberta continues. “The international student body really helped to shape me and differentiate me in the market and in my career.” Roberta’s ideas, friendliness, and enthusiastic participation made a strong impact on the International Students Association, which was a leading campus club at the time. Mrs. Vale, who taught Roberta ESL writing, reading, as well as several French courses, remembers well: “With our PTS French teams at Congrès, in 1999 Roberta acted in a scene from Molière’s Bourgeois Gentilhomme, and in 2000 she recited a level 4 poem, adding points toward our winning trophies. Under her leadership as President, La Société Honoraire de Français had an extremely productive year, presenting a Jeopardy Convocation on French Culture, sponsoring the Crêpemaker, and helping several needy families from Haiti with the proceeds from croissant sales. With a quick mind, Roberta is positive, results oriented, cheerful, and especially empathetic in her dealings with others. Her stellar personal qualities have carried her far.”
now with her fluency in four languages and a successful career in a global business, Roberta ehlers ‘00 says that Palmer trinity still feels like home.
After graduation, Roberta studied at the University of Miami, earning a degree in Electrical Engineering. Her career path took a different turn from that of most engineers. “I decided quickly to go home to Brazil,” she says, but she wasn’t exactly sure what career she wanted to enter. So, like many young graduates early in the millennium, she took the chance to put her resume online. Within a week Roberta received an invitation to interview with a logistics company in Brazil. It was a start-up company and everything about
“when i had to work with investors all over the world, from different cultures, i had the preparation from Palmer trinity.”
it was new. “They wanted an engineer to help put systems in place,” she explains, “and someone fluent in both English and Portuguese. I had what they were looking for.” She thought it was a very good fit for her and has loved what she has done ever since. Roberta did need a slightly new set of skills, including Finance, to accompany her engineering, so she earned a postgraduate degree in Business in Brazil while continuing to help grow the logistics company.
Roberta became the director of Investor Relations for the company, ALL, America Latina Logistica, and watched the company grow significantly. Several years later, while she was working with another group, the
investors she had come to know had recently acquired Burger King Corporation. Once again she was recruited and has since been with the global brand for five years. Working in a few different areas, one of her biggest challenges was an experience that she felt truly defined working on a global scale. She was charged with overseeing a team who built the entire global budget for the company. Burger King had restaurants in 80 countries at the time, and she had to coordinate the work in many time zones and languages. It was a very difficult, but necessary and rewarding, project. “I love a challenge and being a part of a challenge,” she admits. “Burger King had a
big challenge and huge opportunities. The brand has been around for many years, but there’s always room for growth. There’s so much more that we want to accomplish. And I’m very excited to be a part of the past and the future of the company.”
Roberta credits Palmer Trinity with giving her the foundation for her career. “When I had to work with investors all over the world, from different cultures, I had the preparation from Palmer Trinity,” she shares. “With the international student body, the curriculum, the personal attention from teachers such as Mrs. Vale, Ms. Aguirre, and Coach Jennings, I was able to have such a broad experience at Palmer Trinity beyond our studies.”
roberta celebrates with friends and faculty, after a victorious year at congrès, Florida’s state French language academic competition.
Nabil Moo shares, “I’m currently working at a boutique post production company in Coral Gables called Indiehouse as a video editor, animator, and director of photography. We edit and produce content for ad agencies who represent clients such as McDonald’s, Corona, Ford, Converse, etc. We recently won an U.S.H. Idea award for a project that we did in collaboration with Zubi Advertising for Ford.”
Chris Narchet recently worked as a Judicial Intern for Hon. Sarah I. Zabelthe, in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court, Civil Division. He is in law school at FIU.
Montgomery Sibley recently joined Northern Trust as a Financial Statement Analyst.
Anthony Will is currently enrolled at New York University where he is in the process of obtaining a Certificate in Digital Marketing. He co-founded Reputation Resolutions, a company that specializes in removing false and defamatory information from the Internet for individuals. The company was recently selected as one of the top five provid-
ers of online reputation management services by Topseos.com, the leading independent authority on evaluating and ranking search vendors.
Marimar Velez shares, “I just started a new job as a Marketing Supervisor for McDonald’s corporation in the Houston region. Previous to that I worked at a Hispanic Agency in Dallas called iNSPIRE! for three years.”
2008
Lauren Adamo recently joined the West Kendall Baptist Hospital as a Registered Nurse.
Joro Forman is working as a Summer Intern for the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida. He is in law school at the University of Miami.
Annie Jensen writes, “I’m currently a law student at UM Law. This fall I’ll be entering into my final year, as a 3L. This summer I’m working as a Summer Associate at Greenberg Traurig’s Miami office.”
Sophia Policastro will begin in the Doctorate of Psychology program at Nova Southeastern University this fall.
Gregg Steinman, a law student at the University of Miami, is interning this summer as a Summer Legal Counsel Intern at Bank United. Andrew Simon graduated from the University of Miami in 2012 and obtained an internship with the Hon. Chief Admin. Judge Scott M. Bernstein in family court. He just finished his first year at the Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University and thoroughly enjoyed it.
2009
Andrea Bühler writes, “Along with two partners, I am working on PHOG Water, a bottled water brand that harvests water directly from mountain clouds and fog with the mission to fund clean water access worldwide. After graduating from Barnard College in spring 2013, I joined two Princeton graduates at Princeton University’s entrepreneur lab and tested the environmentally friendly, energy efficient technique atop a summit in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. The results
Class
Sh ARON A DAMO, S COTT A DAMO ‘ 03 AND hi S W i F e, VANN e SSA , AND L Au R e N A DAMO ‘ 08
were exciting! With a 1 square meter net, we were successful in collecting over 5 gallons in less than 3 days. To return to Saint Vincent to install a larger cloud harvesting site and begin local distribution, PHOG Water is seeking support through an Indiegogo campaign.”
Dexter Carr shared the news about his current work with Prince, and recently also choreographed the Danity Kane No Filter Tour, performed in the Aloe Blacc “Love is the Answer” Music Video, and the Jennifer Lopez AMA performance (Celia Cruz tribute).
Robert Chester writes, “I graduated from Wash. U last May in economics and finance, and I started working for Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest global brewer and third-largest consumer product goods company worldwide. In October, I was placed as a Business Analyst in the Sales & Marketing office in Chicago. I work on pricing and provide quantitative support for the region that covers five states across the upper Midwest.”
Laura Chumbley is living in Denver and recently became a Travel Advisor for the Evolve Vacation Rental Network.
Jasmine Glick is currently living in Los Angeles with her boyfriend. She is about to start her last quarter at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) where she is studying Merchandise Marketing. She is also pursuing a part-time career in copywriting.
Natalia Matallana writes, “I am the Communications Coordinator at the Engagement Marketing Agency, RapJab. RapJab’s expertise is in web design, social media, branding, content strategy, print collateral production, and copywriting. We’ve also dabbled in product design, video production, public relations, and event planning. I started off as an intern at RapJab and worked my way up from there to become the Communications Coordinator. I am incredibly happy living in New Orleans, and working with this startup agency.”
Ricky Montero recently started working as a Revenue Audit Accountant at SLS Hotel and Casino which is the newest hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
David Omachonu recently started
with Citrix as a Renewal Sales Specialist. He also adds, “I started a company two years ago, YESS, LLC. YESS stands for Young Entrepreneurs Seeking Success. It is a business development and entrepreneur cultivation firm. We host speaking engagements, create comprehensive business plans and specialize in developing companies with a focus in sales, branding.”
Madison Westall writes, “I have a Communications (Journalism) degree from UTS in Sydney which I finished last year, and I’ve just moved over to London where I’m working for an oil company and just generally seeing as much of Europe as I can.”
2010
Margaret Cookson recently graduated from Davidson College and will start her first year of Medical School at FIU.
Cecilia Leal writes, “I just graduated in May with my B.F.A. in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and I won the award for Outstanding Achievement in my acting studio: The Experimental Theatre Wing. My thesis (referred to as an ETW Independent Project), which was performed right before graduation, was a piece of theatre I wrote, directed, and starred in called Open 4 Biz. I’m now in a play called Miami is Sinking (full circle!), and it goes up as part of the HOT Festival at Dixon Place in Manhattan.”
Christina Ludovici writes, “I just graduated from NYU with a
degree in Mathematics and minors in American Sign Language and Urban Design. I’ve already started a full-time job with CounselWorks as a Business Development Analyst in NYC!”
Annie Morrison recently graduated from Georgetown University and will intern this Fall at Kreps deMaria, a public relations firm based in Miami.
Landon Michelson graduated from Rice University with a degree in sports management and was a member of the Rice golf team that won their conference for the first time since 1939 and then played at NCAA regionals in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is currently pursuing a career playing professional golf.
Carolina Perez graduated from the University of Miami and is currently attending St. Thomas University School of Law. Her younger brother started at Palmer Trinity this year!
Santiago Rojas recently joined the Neilsen Company in Chicago as a Financial Leadership Associate.
Doug Rothfeldt is currently working as a summer analyst at Goldman Sachs in Miami. He will be graduating from SMU in December with a major in Finance and concentration in Energy. While at SMU he co-founded and led a student run nonprofit investment fund, the Boulevard Investment Group (BIG). The fund’s goal is to donate investment profits to future SMU Cox business school students. This past May, BIG made its first donation for a $5,000 BBA scholarship. The highlight of his college experience was studying abroad for eight months in Rio and São Paulo, Brazil.
Belle Verwaay writes, “In the fall, I will be starting my studies for my Master of Architecture at Harvard University on a full scholarship plus a $40K grant from my undergrad (Dartmouth College) to pursue my graduate studies.”
2011
Adriana Alvarez traveled to India this summer through Loyola University of New Orleans to intern with LHA Charitable Trust, an organization that works with Tibetan refugees. She worked directly with students from Tibet to improve their English and other skills. She is entering her senior year at Loyola, pursuing a degree in Psychology.
Andrés Campano writes, “I am finishing my last year at UM this year with a degree in Finance. I am currently in an internship program for Chase for their Business Banking sector and, once I finish up the internship in May of next year, I’ll have a job lined up after graduation. I’m a member of Pi Kappa Phi at UM and am involved in the Greek community in addition to working.”
Juan Nicholls studied at Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College this summer. He is entering his senior year, pursuing a degree in Economics and a minor in Environmental Science.
Shirin Razdan was recently awarded the José A. Balseiro Hispanic Literature Student Scholarship at the University of Miami. The Balseiro is presented to a junior or senior in a 300-level (or higher) Spanish or Portuguese course. The student is required to submit an analytical essay which will then serve as the basis for selection for this award. She will graduate summa cum laude and has publications in BMC Immunology and The Journal of Endourology. She will be
JuAN Ni C h OLLS ‘ 11, A DR i ANA A LVAR ez ‘ 11, Se BAST i AN Ni C h OLLS ‘ 12, AND eL e NA De V i LL ie RS
Ch R i ST i NA Lu DOV i C i ‘ 10
L ANDON Mi C he LSON ‘ 10
joining UM Miller School of Medicine this fall as part of the 7-year Medical Scholars Program.
Diana Ruiz shares, “I am currently doing a summer program at UCLA for creative producing. The program requires students to intern, so I am working at Endgame Entertainment and Cross Creek Pictures, two film production companies and film financiers.”
2012
Sebastian Nicholls recently interned with EFG Capital in Miami, working with the bank’s portfolio management team. He is studying at Georgetown University and pursuing a degree in Finance.
David Omachonu worked this summer as an intern with Gershburg Law P.C. in New York.
Camila Salazar announces, “I was officially accepted to IESEG School of Management for fall 2014; Paris, here I come!”
Christina Santilli writes, “I would first like to thank Palmer Trinity for all the unique experiences and support they provided me while I was a
student. It definitely helped prepare me for college. I am currently a rising junior at Georgia Institute of Technology pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science (Devices Track). I have been on the Board of Directors since freshman year for the largest Hispanic organization on campus called Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. I look forward to visiting PTS when I return in August!”
2013
Fernando Bonet recently became a pilot with IBC Airways, flying the Saab 340 airplane.
Brittany Cortazar is studying at FIU Honors College, pursuing a premed degree in Physical Therapy. In her free time she works as a Miami Dolphins Cheerleader.
Rodolfo Martinez-Don recently served as a Summer Intern at Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Office, for current PTS parent and Miami-Dade Deputy Mayor Genaro “Chip” Iglesias.
Preston Michelson spent this summer interning with the Communications Office at Palmer Trinity, helping with the production of the Aerie as well as other projects. He is still doing public address announcing at Northwestern University, as well as broadcasting news and sports on radio and television.
Benjamin Roberts worked this summer as a volunteer for Breakthrough Miami at Palmer Trinity, in marketing and communications. He is studying at Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and majoring in Finance.
Yashodara Suri recently worked as a Summer Intern at Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.
2014
Lea Aftimos and Leo Rocchiccioli visited Palmer Trinity on the first day of school before heading off to college!
Pedro Domit shares, “This summer, I interned with Ora TV, an online television company, working at Larry King Now! I researched guests that come to the show, and wrote questions that Larry King could ask the guests.”
in Memorium
Ke V i N Je S u R u N , C LASS OF 1990
The Palmer Class of 1990 is sad to report the loss of one of our classmates on Malaysian flight seventeen that was shot down over Ukraine on July 17, 2014. Kevin was friendly, light hearted and easy going. Classmate Virgil Guma ‘90 recalls seeing him walking down the hall at school with an infectious smile. Guma last saw him a couple of years ago at a carnival celebration in Kevin’s native Curaçao while visiting another of their classmates, Chris Van Grieken ‘90. Our hearts and prayers are with Kevin’s family and loved ones.
A NDR e W iAN D ODG e, C LASS OF 1985
Andrew Ian Dodge passed away this summer after a fight with colon cancer in Harpswell, Maine. Dodge graduated from Colby College, and obtained a postgraduate degree from Hull University in the United Kingdom. Andrew was active in politics and in 2012 he ran for the United States Senate. As a journalist, he wrote for the Huffington Post, Trending Central, the Canada Free Press, and the Washington Examiner. Our deep condolences and prayers are with Andrew’s family and friends.
Faculty News
We W e LCOM e N e W BABY FALCONS
Sandi Wood (boy)
Corey Harvin (girl)
Leo Llinás (boy)
Harriett Mock (granddaughter)
Marty Migliaccio (granddaughter)
Retiring Faculty
C AROL B ONNER (2005)
If you ask students of Mrs. Bonner’s what they remember from her class, you will probably get a single answer: fairies.
While this may sound bizarre to an outsider, the fairies were a tactic used by Mrs. Bonner as part of her outside-of-the-box teaching of mathematics.
Many students respect the humor and caring nature of Mrs. Bonner, both inside and outside of the classroom.
“She truly cares about the individual,” said math teacher Elena De Villiers, who has known Mrs. Bonner since freshman year at Florida Southern. “She’s a truly great adviser as well. That was one of her big strengths.”
As the adviser to the National Honor Society organization at Palmer Trinity, Mrs. Bonner was able to engage many students with community service. Most prominently, the organization annually collects Thanksgiving food items for South Florida Urban Ministries.
“It’s a great loss and we are going to miss her,” said Mrs. De Villiers.
After
“Laurette Cestare has been the pillar of the middle school for the last nine years,” Peter Tolmach, the new Head of Middle School, said at her goodbye convocation. “Her love for all things middle school was quite evident and will surely be missed.”
At the convocation, the Class of 2020 gifted a ceremonial scarf, a common accoutrement of Ms. Cestare, the Class of 2019 gave her a blank journal, which represented the unlimited future of what children can do, and the Class of 2018 gave her a pen, which exists as a perpetual reminder of the eighth-grade class.
In addition to her position with the middle school, Ms. Cestare taught Latin in the discovery wheel for the sixth grade.
She was also known for her gentle demeanor and humility.
“She was well-liked by the kids,” said Mr. Tolmach. “The students certainly respected her and she was loved by them.”
Ms. Cestare left the middle school with a final message at her convocation.
“Be good, be kids, do your job,” she said. “I carry you with me in my heart.”
J ULIAN L ENT z (2005)
The soft-spoken and caring Julian Lentz, our School Chaplain, is retiring after nine years at Palmer Trinity.
In addition to the chaplaincy, Fr. Lentz took on the task of planning the weekly convocations — the topics ranged from environmental to literary to spiritual.
“He made the real shift to make convocations student-led instead of faculty-led which was amazing,” said Ruthanne Vogel, the Palmer Trinity School library assistant. “He was the impetus behind getting that change in.”
Dr. Aldo Regalado, a history teacher at Palmer Trinity, said that he found the culture that Fr. Lentz created profoundly spiritual.
“He was inviting us into the spiritual community,” Regalado said. “He also added in poetry about nature as well as other references
alongside the Episcopal tradition. That inclusiveness made it evident that students of all faiths could participate.”
Fr. Lentz also created the walking path at Palmer Trinity. It is a place where students can reflect on life and spirituality. Dr. Regalado recalls walking there with his daughters.
“He has such a strong background in science in religion and I really learned a lot from him,” said Vogel. “I found him to be a great person to talk to because he’s very open. He could always come up with the greatest way to solve any problems I had. He’s very wise.”
Fr. Lentz also taught a class called “Topics in World Ecology,” where students learned to maintain a garden and understand the ecological importance of plants.
Since 2002, Ruthanne Vogel has been the keeper of the library. This year, she is retiring to a part-time role.
“She was the biggest asset we had at Palmer Trinity,” Ms. De Villiers said. “She knew about books, she knew about technology, and she knew research inside and out. She was also a great teacher.”
In addition to tracking and maintaining the tens of thousands of books that populate the Matheson Library, Mrs. Vogel was responsible for the online informational databases that students use for research papers. She was tasked with showing students the most effective ways to learn about their selected topics.
“What makes her a good librarian here is that she has that connection with kids,” said Dr. Regalado. “She has a gentle touch about her especially with kids that are sort of marginalized.”
Mrs. Vogel was able to interact with students, not only on a day-to-day basis in the library, but as the adviser to the book club.
“On top of everything, she is just a great lady,” De Villiers said.
L AURETTE C ESTARE (2005)
a nine-year tenure as the Head of Middle School and a foreign languages teacher, Laurette Cestare is retiring.
R UTHANNE V OGEL (2002)
30 year teaching veteran caroline goodwin leads the Installation procession.
